The sixth annual Marx conference devoted to “Left Perspectives on the International Crisis of Capitalism and the Social Protests in Israel” took place in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Beer-Sheva, in Hebrew and Arabic, on May and June 2012, under the auspices of Hagada Ha’smalit (Left Bank) Alternative Cultural Center. In addition to 28 panelists, approximately three hundred people participated in the meetings and discussion. The conference received valuable assistance from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. Summaries of lectures were published in the Hebrew website “Hagada Ha’smalit.”
It is not every day that a sizable group of academicians and activists meet to develop a dialog, to debate and to cooperate in furthering their common aim of maintaining and developing the intellectual and political status of Marxism in the country.
Marx Forum 2012 poster
The subjects discussed included: The last year social protests in Israel and Europe, education and philosophy, the struggles of the Palestinian Arabs in Israel, the new Hebrew version of “Das Kapital”, The Israeli economy, the Arab Spring and a session devoted to socialist perspectives. The large participation of many young people and students was noteworthy as was their special interest in the practical side of the last year social struggles and labor struggles, especially the movement for the establishment of worker committees as part of a new drive for unionization. All in all, the discussion of different views and strategies was conducted in a friendly and constructive atmosphere.
Among the panelists who participated in the Marx Forum 2012: Prof. Ramzi Suleiman (Haifa University), Karin Zennig (Social activist, Germany), Christina Kaindl (Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Germany) Dr. Mousa Budeiri (Bir Zeit University, Palestine), Dr. Yussri Jisran (Van-Lee Institute, Haifa), Raj’a Oumari (Researcher, Nazareth), Issam Makhoul (Former MK, director of the Emil Touma Institute, Haifa), Reuven Abergil (Social activist, Jerusalem), Rosinne Bisharat (Social activist, Jaffa), Alon-Lee Green (Social activist, Tel-Aviv), MK Dr. Dov Khenin (Hadash), Angelika Timm (Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Tel-Aviv), Dr. Shimshom Bichler (Kinneret College, Tiberias), Dr. Iftach Goldman (Betzalel College, Jerusalem) Prof. Gideon Freudenthal (Tel-Aviv University), Amira Hess (Journalist, “Haaretz”, Ramallah), Prof. Gadi Algazi (Tel-Aviv University), Prof. Lev Grinberg (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva), Tamar Gozansky (Former MK, journalist and activist, Bat-Yam), Shy Gorsky (Student, Tel-Aviv University), Micha Rachman (Social and peace activist, Jerusalem) Matan Kaminer (Social and peace activist, Jaffa), Raj’a Zaatry (Social activist and journalist, “Al Ittihad”, Haifa), Prof. Uri Ram (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva), Sapir Slutzker (Social activist, Rosh Hay’in), Adar Stern (Social activist, Beer-Sheva) and Dr. Efraim Davidi (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva)
The agenda was far too ambitious for the framework. Because of the lack of time, many who wanted to respond to the different speakers were simply unable to do so. Despite the difficulties, there is a sense that the annual Marx conference is becoming a valuable asset to the work of the Left in Israel. The organizers have received addition requests for the analysis of different subjects, and there are additional people in academia who can be part of the future Marx conferences. The work of the forum is based on a group of activists from academia and the Left Bank College. Hagada Hasmalit is an alternative cultural space which has been active for a decade in Tel Aviv and is supported the Communist Party of Israel and Hadash (Democratic Front for Peace and Equality). The Left Bank also maintains the leading Hebrew language site of the militant left in Israel.
The Marx Forum voluntary staff added: “We are presently initiating the first preparations for the next Marx Forum in the last week of June 2013 on the question ‘Is capitalist crisis and mass social protest over? A socialist perspective’.”
