Palestine Communist Party

[5] Karl Radek, as head of the Comintern's Eastern department, instructed the PCP that it must "become a party of Arab workers to which Jews can belong.

"[6] Additionally, the party helped "communists to their north [i.e. in Lebanon and Syria] organize" moving beyond, but not excluding, their Jewish constituency.[7].

According to Fred Halliday, many Christian Arabs were attracted towards the party since they, being Orthodox, felt emotional bonds with Russia.

[8] However, when the Comintern made its ultra-left turn in 1928 and denounced cooperation with national bourgeoisies in the colonies, the process of strengthening of the party amongst the Arab population was stalled.

In 1930 the Comintern did yet another sharp turn, urging its Palestinian section to speedily increase the Arab representation amongst its cadres and leaders.

[1] In December 1930, PCP ran in the elections for the Jewish Assembly of Representatives in Mandate Palestine, using a front organization called the Proletarian Party (Harishima Haproletarit).

[11] The PCP changed its name to MAKEI, the Communist Party of Eretz Israel, after endorsing partition in October 1947.