Almost a Century without Our Rights: Dr. Erekat On New Israeli Assassinations In Gaza :: EsinIslam The Muslim World Portal For Islamic News And Opinions

Almost a Century without Our Rights: Dr. Erekat On New Israeli Assassinations In Gaza

17 November 2012

By Dr. Saeb Erekat

Palestine Liberation Organization
Negotiations Affairs Department
Press Release

Dr. Erekat on new Israeli Assassinations in Gaza

"We hold Israel fully responsible for the consequences of this new act of aggression"

Member of the PLO Executive Committee and Chief Palestinian Negotiator Dr. Saeb Erekat condemned in the strongest terms the assassinations committed today in Gaza by Israeli Occupation Forces.

"We condemn in the strongest terms this new Israeli assassination which aims to initiate a bloody escalation. We hold the Israeli government fully responsible for the consequences that this new act of aggression would bring to the region"

"This exposes that Israel has an agenda for war but not for peace."

Dr. Saeb Erekat made this comment from Switzerland, where he is accompanying President Mahmoud Abbas in an official visit.

Almost a Century without Our Rights The Significance of November in the Palestinian Struggle for Freedom

Ninety-five years ago, November 2, the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Arthur James Balfour, sent a letter to one of the leaders of the Zionist Movement supporting the establishment of "a national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. Colonialism at that time allowed some powers to trade the land and rights of others, and this is what the United Kingdom did with Palestine. This infamous declaration was the beginning of our tragedy.

Sixty-five years ago, November 29, the United Nations decided to divide Palestine into two-states, one for the indigenous Palestinian population and one for an immigrant community. A few weeks later, an ethnic cleansing campaign began. This is what we remember as the Nakba or catastrophe, whereby 70 percent of our people were expelled from their homes and became refugees.

Thirty-five years ago, November 29 was declared the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. On this day every year, the Palestinian people remind the international community of its responsibilities and the need for effective action against the on-going Israeli occupation.

Twenty-four years ago, November 15, the Palestine National Council, chaired by Yasser Arafat, declared the independence of the State of Palestine. The declaration, drafted mainly by Mahmoud Darwish and Edward Said, marked the Palestinian historic compromise of accepting the two-state solution on the 1967 border, meaning the establishment of our state on only 22 percent of historical Palestine.

November is therefore more than just an important month; it's a turning point for the Palestinian people. The Palestinian issue has been drawn out for decades, with the chances for a peaceful solution diminishing more quickly than ever.

The Palestinian people have struggled for the realisation of their inalienable rights for almost a century. We have gone through different stages within our struggle. Despite appalling Israeli measures, many of which are reminiscent of those of South African apartheid, the Palestinians have remained steadfast to safeguard their most basic human rights. The PLO and the Palestinian people know that international humanitarian law and international conventions affirm their right to self-determination. And yet, in turning a blind eye to Israeli violations, the international community allows Israel to remain above international law.

The Palestine question began with the UN in 1947. In 1967, the UN Security Council passed a resolution (242) emphasising the "inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war" and calling for "the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict." This month, we are taking the issue back to where it all began. We are asking the most representative body in the world to recognise our State of Palestine and, in doing so, recognise their moral and legal responsibility to resolve this question.

Although there is outside pressure against our statehood bid, and although there may be no immediate changes on the ground the day after the vote, the UN bid is a necessary and highly significant step for Palestine. On a legal level, it will mean that Palestine will be formally recognised as a State under occupation. It will consolidate the two-state solution. This will solidify the position from which we negotiate: it will set the framework for meaningful negotiations, based on the 1967 border. On a symbolic level, international support in the UN General Assembly will make good the international community's promise to the Palestinians, by taking a positive and concrete step towards fulfilling their inalienable right to self-determination.

From the Palestinian point of view, this diplomatic step shows the world that we can no longer tolerate the lack of definitive action on behalf of the international community, which has allowed Israel to breach international law with impunity. We have been promised our rights for sixty-five years and participated in twenty years of negotiations in good faith. Meanwhile Israel has continued to build settlements, illegally annex large tracts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem (OPT), evict families from their homes, and humiliate the Palestinian people on a daily basis, without a shred of accountability. We cannot continue to live at the whim of these governments. What we now need, more than ever, is to protect the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and hold Israel accountable for its severe violations of Palestinian human rights. We also want to protect the prospects of a just and lasting peace, including a framework for negotiations based on international law. This is what our statehood bid means.

This November 29 marks the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. When the Palestinian people commemorate this occasion, it reminds them that there is support out there. We know that 131 countries, the equivalent of 75 percent of the world's population, have already formally recognised our State. We know that people all over the world support our just cause. But we are also reminded, more than ever, that the Israeli occupation has yet to come to an end. We have the international community's words. What we now need are their actions. The international community must steer the situation ‎towards a peaceful resolution. Any further failures will only serve the interests of the occupier, Israel, and will prolong the suffering of the occupied, the Palestinian people. A just and ‎lasting peace in the Middle East based on relevant Security Council resolutions and international law is critical to avoid this fate. On this day, the international community is obliged more than ever to stand with the Palestinian people and to help them to achieve their long overdue right to freedom and independence.

This article was submitted by the Negotiations Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

* Dr. Saeb Erakat one of the prominent faces of Palestinian struggles and Chief PLO negotiator & Fatah Central Committee member posted this article Nov 2010 and there has been some delays in making it available on EsinIslam.Com. However, following Mr. Erakat's direct contact with EsinIslam.Com articles of the Palestinian leader such as this can now be assessed at this portal.

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