4-03-07, 9:09 am

I will emphasize in this opening speech on the circumstances in the Palestinian Territories and their effect on the prevailing conditions in the area, as well as the importance of organizing solidarity activities with the Palestinian people. Our aim is to enhance our struggle towards a just and lasting peace in the Middle East especially as we approach the anniversary of 40 years of the Israeli occupation to the Palestinian territories, the longest occupation in modern history.

We think that ending the Israeli occupation is the first step for a just solution to the Palestinian problem away from the external and colonial domination, and this is the only approach to achieve stability in our region.

We, as leftist parties in the Middle east and the Mediterranean, it's our duty to be in the front lines of this struggle. We carry great responsibilities in order to achieve these goals, starting with our deep perception of the international and regional changes, and due to our commitments toward our nations and to the social sectors of the population that are mostly hurt by the policy of aggression and domination practiced by the United States of America and its allies.

Now its time to say, that solidarity movement among our nations and parties should not be restricted only to ideas, ideologies and goodwill. They should also build on mutual and vital benefits, as well as the common objectives and the ability to transform these policies into effective popular activities that produce a clear effect on the formal policies, of the ruling regimes.

Its obvious that our ongoing debates, regular meetings, the exchange of information and visits among our parties, contribute in strengthening our inter relations and accumulating a common understanding of the general issues that we are collectively fighting for.

As to the latest developments in Palestine, everybody knows the catastrophic effect of the continuing siege imposed on our people and in the Palestinian Authority after Hamas won the legislative elections that took place early last year.

The elections in Palestine, in the first place, constituted a democratic prerequisite after having been delayed for about 6 years. It is also considered a vital element, in enhancing the Palestinian national struggle, and in the transformation of the national authority into an independent Palestinian state. But at the same time, it was an international and American demand and a precondition for any real progress in the peace process. What has happened later was that those who were pressuring the Palestinians to go to the elections, decided not to accept its results, and imposed a siege on the Palestinian people in order to cancel these results.

The American position towards the Palestinian elections reveals the depth of the American hypocrisy and fake pretension about democracy and human rights. Its biased positions towards Israel prove its inclination not to reach a settlement to the Palestinian problem, which contradicted the policy of expansion and occupation of Israel.

The Israeli policy has closed every opportunity to reach a just and comprehensive solution even before Hamas's victory in the elections, and is now continuing the same policy but in a new form.

If we review the main features of this Israeli policy, we realize that it is based on the principle of the one-sided solution, dictating the results, and imposing them by force and as a fait accompli on the Palestinian People.

The Israeli military invasion to the areas of the Palestinian national authority in March 2002 formed a tremendous step in implementing this policy. The invasion offered Israel a security domination without the necessity of declaring again the military rule. Three months later the Israeli government revealed its plans to build up the apartheid wall, and at the same time the international Quartet declared the road map as a plan to solve the Palestinian Israeli conflict, and that was on the eve of the aggressive American war against Iraq.

So not surprisingly, Israel started at this time to draw reduced borders for a mini Palestinian entity encircled by the apartheid wall, which grabs more than 40% of the West Bank. Israel also developed a complete system of military checkpoints that surrounded all the populated Palestinian areas. It built a complete network of by-pass roads serving the Settlements and its military installations. At the same time it demanded that the Palestinian National Authority should fight terrorism, and dismantle the so-called terrorist infrastructure as a precondition for any negotiations. Such preconditions are considered by the Palestinian leadership as a recipe for a civil war, so it refrained to go into this bloody path. Israel used the Palestinian position as a pretext to pursue its intransigence policies, and to go on in its false claims, and well known accusations that there is no Palestinian partner, and that there will not be any negotiations under fire. This lead to total political stagnation. The disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip indicates that the Israeli government has finally decided to go on in its one sided solution, and to expand its one sided policy into the West Bank. The Israeli policy makers began to stress more and more on the so called Palestinian mini state, or a state with temporary borders.

This shows very clearly that Israel has planned right from the start to abort any solution that complies with the international legitimacy resolutions. Israel wants to perpetuate the status quo, that it has imposed on the Palestinian groundincluding the settlements, the by pass roads, the military bases, the apartheid wall etc-- as a final solution, and snatch a Palestinian acceptance later, by dictating the outcome of any future negotiations. The colonial nature of the Israeli state and the absence of international or regional pressure encouraged Israel to go on in its policies.

Israel counted on a number of factors in order to impose its plans:

1 First: To dictate a solution on the Palestinian people due to it's over riding military power. This did not succeed.

2 Second: To bet on a Palestinian inter fighting or a civil war, that would lead to the emergence of a weak Palestinian leadership that will accept any Israeli solution. This also did not work, especially after reaching the Mecca accord and the agreement to form a national unity government in Palestine.

3 Third: Israel anticipated that the American occupation of Iraq will increase the imbalance of power to its favor. But the American failure in Iraq annulled this equation.

4 Forth: Israel expected that through military power and aggression, it could inflict a fatal blow to the Lebanese Resistance and neutralize Syria and eradicate their influence in the region. But Israel has failed here too.

This American-Israeli failure opens wider opportunities, for a just political solution for our problems in this area. And it opens the way for massive popular activities against the Israeli and American schemes in the region. This failure gives a golden opportunity to enhance the struggle on national and by national levels to end the Israeli occupation in the Palestinian territories, and other Arab lands, and the American occupation of Iraq, and to recognize the right of the peoples of this area, in self determination, and live in peace.

We think that the Mecca accord (signed lately by Fatah and Hamas) and the formation of the new national unity government, opens new horizons and gives hope of ending the siege on the Palestinian people. The active international solidarity of our friends, mainly the leftists and democratic parties, are essential elements in giving the new Palestinian national unity government a chance. We demand that the international community recognize the new Palestinian government, and initiate a dialogue with it. Our parties could play a big role in this course, and in expressing real solidarity with the Palestinian people in order to break the siege.

Dear Comrades and Friends

I want to take the opportunity and use this stand to announce that the Palestinian People's Party and the Israeli Communist Party have agreed to host an international meeting for the Communist and Leftist parties in Jerusalem commemorating 40 years of the Israeli occupation to the Palestinian territories in June 1967, and to emphasize the international solidarity against the occupation, and the right of both peoples to live in peace. It is time that the Palestinian people get his rights in self determination, freedom and independence. We also suggest that the leftist and democratic parties perform similar activities in their countries.

As Communist and leftist parties, we now need to assert in deeds the importance of the international solidarity against the imperialist aggression. This is an important undertaking, that could not be done by one party, but through the collective struggle and efforts of all of us, and of the anti war, anti militarization, and anti-occupation forces, in every country and all over the world.

We think that the international community should intervene again, but in an evenhanded way based upon the successful and meaningful experience that was gained in the international arena.

--Hanna Amireh is a member of the political bureau of the Palestinian People's Party, and a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

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