Democratic Palestine : 19 (ص 4)
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- Democratic Palestine : 19 (ص 4)
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Press Conference
a
On October 4th, following the conclusion of the PFLP Central Committee meeting, a press conference
was convened. Dr. George Habash, General Secretary of the PFLP, answered a series of questions posed
by Arab and international journalists. Below are some of the questions:
What is the PFLP’s position on the Algerian initia-
tive to reunite the PLO?
When President Shadli Ben Jedid launched his initiative, the
PFLP welcomed it, specifying that official and announced
abrogation of the Amman accord would be the proper prelude
to overall Palestinian national dialogue. This dialogue would
discuss the political and organizational basis for Palestinian
national unity in the light of the lessons of the complicated
period we have experienced since the PNC’s 16th session. The
PFLP considers that the reunification of the PLO, on a correct
political and organizational basis, is the central task to which
we will devote all the efforts needed. At the same time, this
unity should be genuine, not a formality. This means drawing
the main lessons of the past four years, in order to establish
real unity that will enable the PLO to seriously confront the
US-Zionist-Arab reactionary plans for the region.
I want to clarify that this stand is not in any way geared to
the stand of our Arab or international allies. At the same time,
we know very well that serious confrontation of the
imperialist-Zionist-Arab reactionary plans definitely requires
that the PLO be united on a clear, correct political and orga-
nizational basis, and have a serious alliance with Syria and the
other Arab nationalist countries. If for any reason, there are
obstacles to this formula, the PFLP would go ahead in the
process of reunifying the PLO on a correct basis, and struggle
for establishing the alliance with Syria later on. This is because
Syria is steadfast, and the PLO’s alliance with Syria is impor-
tant in order to confront the imperialist-Zionist-Arab reaction-
ary plans.
Some Palestinian forces, especially Fatah’s Central Com-
mittee, say that the PFLP’s stand vis-a-vis the unification of
the PLO is determined by the Syrian stand, and that the PFLP
will never be able to take a stand independent of Syria. This is
not correct. We challenge Fatah’s Central Committee to cancel
the Amman accord in order to start the national dialogue. If
this happens, the PFLP will immediately join the dialogue...
Two months ago, I gave a statement to the Kuwaiti news
agency, saying that we challenge the Central Committee to
cancel the Amman accord and then see whether the PFLP’s
stand is really geared to that of Syria...
Why do we consider that cancellation of the Amman accord
is a condition for starting the dialogue? Because we have had a
painful, regretable experience these past four years. With good
reason, we fear that if we enter the overall Palestinian dialogue
without cancellation of the Amman accord, we will never
arrive at a clear-cut cancellation. This would mean continua-
tion of the unclear, vacillating policy which has been pursued
by the PLO Executive Committee the past four years. The
Amman accord has a special character. In fact, it is a new
political program for the PLO, directly contradictory to the
national program for return, self-determination and an inde-
pendent Palestinian state. This is really a very big, serious mis-
take committed by the official PLO leadership. The Amman
accord is a signed document between the PLO and the Jorda-
nian regime. It is our right to insist that it be officially and
publicly cancelled.
Of course, when we start the overall dialogue, the PFLP will
have its point of view on the political and organizational basis
for genuine Palestinian national unity. For example, we will
insist that the PLO break relations with the Egyptian regime,
2
as was stipulated in the Aden-Algiers agreement signed by
Fatah’s Central Committee, the PFLP, DFLP, PCP and PLF.
In addition to the political issues, the PFLP will present a
detailed point of view on organizational issues. The organiza-
tional section of the Aden-Algiers agreement provides an
acceptable basis for the process of reform in the PLO.
Through dialogue, we will insist on exact implementation of
this.
Some consider that these are difficult conditions for reunit-
ing the PLO. We do not consider them difficult in relation to
the lessons of the past four years. I want to remind you that the
14th PNC adopted an organizational program that stressed
collective leadership and democratic relations among the
organizations that are united in the PLO. What happened after
that? Arafat put the entire program on the shelf... We stress
these things so that the unfortunate situation of the PLO will
not be repeated. Most of you remember the policy of saying
neither yes nor no, which was pushed by Arafat at the 16th
PNC. Depending on the ambiguity of the political articles
adopted at this session, Arafat and his leadership interpreted
these as they chose, drawing the PLO to their preferred line -
away from the political basis agreed upon. When asked about
his dparture from PNC decisions, he always relied on the
ambiguities. In this way, he even justified the Amman accord,
considering it a correct application of the 16th PNC’s deci-
sions! ;
The PFLP wants Palestinian national unity, but we are not
ready to repeat the unfortunate situation of the past four years.
We welcome the Algerian initiative, and will work with our
Algerian brothers to continue their efforts, for our current,
central task is reuniting the PLO on a correct political and
organizational basis.
What exactly does the PFLP mean by official can-
cellation of the Amman accord?... Peres himself
has said that it is dead, based on information from
the US, Egypt and Jordan. What does the PFLP
want after all these indications? Some in the PLO
leadership think that your conditions only aim to
cut the PLO’s relations with all Arab countries, so
that it would be liquidated. They think that your
conditions do not open the door to unity, but close
all doors on the PLO...
What we mean by cancellation of the Amman accord is for
Fatah’s Central Committee to cancel it, to be followed by
official cancellation by the PLO Executive Committee which
was formed in the Amman PNC. Although we do not reco-
gnize this Executive Committee, it endorsed the accord. We
have clearly stated that this is what we mean by cancellation,
on a number of occasions and in all our publications on the
subject... In an official message sent to our comrades in
Democratic Yemen, we clearly stated this understanding: The
Central Committee cancels it, then instructs Arafat, as a
member of this committee, to convene the Executive Com-
mittee of the PLO to cancel the accord, in order for us to be
sure that it is cancelled oficially.
The most important point is: Was the Amman accord really
cancelled? Despite the Moscow and Prague meetings... Taher
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