The Map of Palestine and the Borders of the Palestinian State: "Netanyahu is protesting the map of Palestine for it continues to feature its historic name as it appears in both the Old and New Testaments. It is also mentioned in the Koran [as the region that lies] near the Al-Aqsa Mosque '…the area which we have blessed’.[1] This is Palestine -stretching from the River to the Sea, from Naqura to Rafah…Netanyahu [tries] to instill into history and into the curricula a false consciousness, whereby he is trying to brainwash the Palestinian mind and subject it to fabrications and illegitimate fairy-tales.
The PLO adheres to the international legitimacy of the [UN] Resolutions despite the injustice it causes to the Palestinians. These [resolutions] recognize the establishment of two states on the land of Palestine, referring to one of them as Israel on the basis of its descent from Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, and the Israelites. Therefore, it is reasonable that the other state bear the name of the land and its populace. The Jewish outlook has claimed sweepingly all the lands between the Nile and the Euphrates, which was later confined to the [idea of a] 'Greater Israel'. [However,] the commitment to the peace process imposes new realities for Palestine. [It is] a state for two nations with Jerusalem as the capital of the two states.
This [solution of two states], for the foreseeable future and for the sake of peace would open the way for justice and democracy. Whereupon, people and land shall merge through democratic means and on the land of peace, in the framework of a democratic state that future generations will desire. This state will emerge, surmounting [the obstacles] of hatred and racism that characterize Netanyahu's policies and the bands of settlers and murderers who fear the consequences of their actions."
Anticipating a Violent Backlash: "The gap between Palestinians' expectations and the Israeli scheme will inevitably lead to a backlash [This is because] the current attempts to preserve the peace process will fail to come up with [a viable alternative] once the peace process becomes [part of] the past…One cannot fight the settlements, expropriation of lands and cold-blooded assassinations through [political] negotiations. There is no way but to [wage] a fight that will match [Israel's] aggression and embolden the people's will to rise up forcibly against all forms of aggression…
Our movement and the PA's persistence on establishing the Palestinian State on May 4th, 1999, is nothing but a reiteration of our complete faith in [our] inevitable victory and our constant readiness to sacrifice. [These sacrifices are characteristic of a] state that was redeemed by the blood of the martyrs, by the tortured prisoners, the decoration of [our] injured and the people's resolve to [achieve] liberty and independence and to defeat the occupation. Indeed, it is that resolve that glorified the intifada, drawing on a long-lasting armed struggle and a cascade of noble blood, paving Palestine's road to liberty…"
Illegal Weapons: "[Israel's demand] to collect [Palestinian-held] weapons was designed to provoke fitna [civil war], to incite and stir [intra-Palestinian] clashes. Sharon even went as far as demanding that the Palestinian Police be deprived of the guns that they are entitled to under the terms of the Agreement."
The Palestinian Covenant: "…Netanyahu's peculiar interpretation of the Covenant and his demand to have the [necessary] minimum quorum [of PNC members] assembled for a formal plenum that would [pass] a clear two-thirds majority vote is humiliating to the [PNC]. [The PNC] fulfilled the [peace] process fully in 1996, and completed it in the Central Council's resolution. Brother Abu 'Ammar [Arafat] agreed to stage this event in such a way that would save our face, ignoring [the problematic] minimum [number of PNC member for legal quorum] and staving off any statement or action from the [PNC] speaker. This was realized by a round of applause and a [collective] raising of the hands as a salute to the United States President, the first to visit Gaza via the Palestinian airport." [2]
[1] Koran 17, I.
[2] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, December 18, 1998.
