Democratic Palestine : 13 (ص 32)
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- Democratic Palestine : 13 (ص 32)
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Occupied Palestine
Appointment in Nablus
On November 26th, the Israeli
occupation authorities appointed the
pro-Jordanian businessman, Thafer al
Masri, as mayor of Nablus, the largest
city in the occupied West Bank. The
members of the Nablus Chamber of
Commerce, which Masri heads, were
appointed as the new municipal council.
This ended the form, but not the content,
whereby Nablus has been run by an
Israeli army officer, installed after the
military government fired the popularly
elected mayor, Bassam Shakaa. The
Israeli colonel, who heads the ‘civil’
administration in the West Bank, con-
nected the appointments with Prime
Minister Peres’ promise to «improve the
quality of life» or «improved autonomy»
for the residents of the occupied ter-
ritories. Such jargon noticeably corres-
ponds to the phrases used by US offi-
cials when trying to cloak their drive for
hegemony in the mantie of ‘peace’.
However, the gist of this matter is not
providing public services, as Israeli and
Jordanian officials, as well as Masri him-
self, have claimed.
It is a dangerous precedent when a
Palestinian steps into public office for
the sake of beautifying the occupation. It
is even more dangerous in the light of
the increasing, though undeclared,
coordination between the Zionist and
Jordanian regimes, which has also been
evidenced by the three visits of a delega-
tion from the Jordanian Agriculture
Ministry to the occupied West Bank.
Such coordination aims to develop an
alternative leadership willing in the
future to ‘represent’ the Palestinians in
Israeli-Jordanian negotiations.
No one would have dared to take
this step were it not for the prevailing dis-
array in the Palestinian arena, caused
by the PLO leadership’s deviating and
divisive policies. In fact, Masri applied
for the job on Jordanian urging. He
assumed office amid popular rejection,
for the masses adhere to their elected
mayor, Shakaa, and to the nationalist
position of the West Bank municipalities
generally. Moreover, 33 members of the
PNC publicly declared their denuncia-
tion in a communique in early
December.
32
However, efforts to mobilize an all-
out campaign to block the appointments
were hampered by the position of the
PLO leadership. Instead of determining
to confront this joint Israeli-Jordanian
move, they opted to promote their own
candidate, Basel Kanaan. Not only did
they lose the appointment race, they
also once again compromised the posi-
tion of the PLO. The winners were the
Israeli occupation and the Jordanian
regime who also plan to divide the spoils
(the West Bank) in the ‘peace’ process
sponsored by the US. Masri’s status as a
successful businessman points to the
class aspect of the US settlement plan,
aiming to coopt the Palestinian and Arab
bourgeoisie to reconcile with Zionism.
Cross-border iron fist
The masses and progressive forces
are experiencing this ‘peace’process in
the form of increased repression.
Recently, the Israeli iron fist was com-
plemented from across the border by the
Jordanian regime’s extensive search
and arrest operation. in late November,
over fifty nationalists were rounded up
by the Jordanian intelligence service.
These included leaders and cadres of
Palestinian and Jordanian parties, and
the activists in mass organizations.
Clearly, the aim is to clear the way for the
regime's enacting its policy of entering a
unilateral settlement with ‘Israel’. (See
statement from the Committee for
Democratic Freedoms in Jordan in the
following pages.) .
In Palestine, the iron fist has been
raised over the heads of our people
since the establishment of the Zionist
state. The intensity of its application
depends on political necessity. In the
recent period, dating back to last sum-
mer, we have witnessed a more violent
implementation of this policy to counter
the mass struggle and the escalation of
anti-occupation military operations. Dur-
ing the recent period, the iron fist has
been brought down on all parts of Pales-
tine. In the past four months, sentences
have been passed on 500 Palestinian
citizens; over 1000 were arrested, 102
under the administrative detention law,
and 23 were deported.
Threatened deportations
Deportation is now pending for four
Palestinian citizens who were arrested
October 27th, by a military order based
on the British Emergency Regulations of
1945. The four are: Dr. Azmi Shuaibi,
dentist and member of Al Bira municipal
council; Ali Abu Hilal from Abu Dis vil-
lage near Jerusalem, member of the
Executive Committee of the Federation
of Trade Unions; Hassan Abdel Jawad,
journalist from Duheisheh refugee
camp; and Zaki Statieh of Jabalia
refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, who
was liberated from the Zionist jails in the
prisoner exchange this spring.
All are charged with nebulous
Offenses such as «inciting» against the
occupation, a euphemism for defending
Palestinian national rights. However, the
evidence against them is kept secret,
complicating their appeals to have the
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