Matzpen – The Israeli Socialist Organization

Matzpen was established in 1962 by activists who split from the Communist Party of Israel after developing a strong ideological critique of CPI principles and strategy.

Matzpen argued for independence from the orthodox pro-Soviet orientation of the party, and demanded a clear revision of the CP position on the legitimacy of Israel. Matzpen argued that Israel was a direct continuation of Zionist colonization. Matzpen called for a united Socialist Arab East where each of the non-Arab nationalities, including the Israeli Jews, would enjoy the right of self-determination. The unique nature of the Matzpen contribution was clearly articulated in its political statements.

During the sixties and seventies, Matzpen, though never a mass organization, exerted considerable influence in the development of the radical left in Israel and established a network of international political contacts.

The splits and conflicts in the left abroad had an adverse effect on the group, which began to splinter in the seventies. Two chief tendencies emerged against the traditional line of the group: a Trotskyite tendency which included a number of groups, chief of which was the Revolutionary Communist League (affiliated with the 4th International) and a Maoist-third world tendency - Ma’avak (struggle).
Many of the former Matzpen activists continue to play a role in the current political scene either in organized groups or as individual activists.

To view periodicals authored by these groups, click here or enter the Periodical Collection.


Technicalities

This collection contains about 200 items which divide into nine groups: Matzpen, Matzpen - Marxist (Lakam), Ma'avak, Derech Ha'Nitzotz, Vangaurd, Spartacus, Hal'a Ha'kibush, The Mole (Hafarperet), and various other formations.
The material includes press clippings and photographs, material authored by each group - including news bulletins, leaflets and organizational documents.
The archive language is English, while the items may be in Hebrew, English or Arabic.

For more information about Matzpen you can visit the official site at: www.matzpen.org

How to find information in this Collection:

• To view a list of documents sorted by Titles click the Titles button on the red bar above
• To view a list of documents sorted by Dates click the Dates button on the red bar above
• To view a list of documents sorted by Groups click the Groups button on the red bar above
• To conduct a search for particular words click the Search button on the red bar above or use the search form directly below it. (Please note that in order to search for dates it is necessary to enter them in yyyymmdd format)