Democratic Palestine : 26 (ص 16)
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- Democratic Palestine : 26 (ص 16)
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JEC’s concession on the basis that the
company was no longer able to meet its
obligations. On October 20, 1978,
Teddy Kolleck publicly called on the
government to withdraw the JEC’s
concession on the basis that the com-
pany was providing electricity to only
50 out of 130 villages in its area of
concession. He also claimed that the
JEC was squandering liquid fuel,
whereas the IREC was using coal in-
stead.
The JEC suffered a deep financial
crisis in 1978, approaching bankruptcy
in 1979. This pushed the company’s
administrative board and its acting
head, Elias Freij, to contact several
Arab countries, including Jordan, ask-
ing them to finance the company in
order to save it from bankruptcy. The
administrative board also took many
other measures to minimize the com-
pany’s expenditures, such as cutting the
employees’ pay. This decision ag-
gravated the employees who had for
years been suffering from the rise in the
cost of living due to the inflation. The
JEC workers’ union organized a huge
strike in the administration’s head-
quarters on July 11, 1979. The strike
lasted until the end of the month, when
a popular conference was held in sup-
port of workers and employees of the
company. The demands of the strikers
were a Salary increase and a cost of liv-
ing increment paid in Jordanian dinars.
The conference adopted a number of
decisions in support of the workers:
1. unconditional support of the
workers’ demands.
2. demanding that the municipal
councils of the West Bank take a strong
position against the administrative
board’s neglect of the workers’
demands.
3. condemning the relinquishing of any
part of the company’s concession and
protecting its Palestinian identity.
The last point refers to the ad-
ministration’s decision to sell the part
of the company’s concession that pro-
vides electricity to the Israeli set-
tlements and quarters in the West
Jerusalem area, in an attempt to relieve
the company’s financial burden. This
decision was taken with the approval of
the representatives of a number of in-
dependent shareholders,such as Mayors
Karim Khalaf (Ramallah) and Ibrahim
16
Al Tawil (Al Bireh). However, Khalaf
and Tawil later worked along with
other nationalist personalities to nar-
row the gap between the administration
and the workers’ union. As a result of
these efforts, a meeting was held on
July 28, 1979, and an agreement was
reached to: (1) pay the cost of living
increment in Jordanian dinars; (2)
allow employees 250 kilowatts free;
and (3) give bonuses to qualified, effi-
cient employees and workers.
_ The agreement settled this aspect of
the company’s crisis, but early in 1980,
problems started again when the Israeli
government issued its decision to con-
fiscate the company’s concession. This
decision was overruled by the Israeli
Supreme Court after the employees’
protest.
In 1982, the Israeli Ministry of Energy
forbade the JEC from _ operating
its five new generators. This forced the
Palestinian company to depend on the
Israeli company for 90% of its energy,
since the JEC’s old generators could
only provide 10% of consumer needs.
Dependence on the Israeli company had
led to even more rapid accumulation of
debts ($20 million) that the company is
unable to pay.
The absence of Arab support to the
JEC is glaring, especially since the
Jordanian government has_ ceased
payments from the Steadfastness Fund
to the West Bank. In 1985, the Jorda-
nian regime proposed that it supply the
West Bank with electricity, reflecting
King Hussein’s design to share this ter-
ritory with the occupation authorities.
However, the Israeli energy minister
replied that this should be discussed as
part of the Jordanian-Israeli dialogue.
This means the JEC will be used in the
Zionists’ game of blackmail to draw
King Hussein into direct negotiations
that would impose joint administration
to Israeli advantage.
Clearly, the latest Israeli move
against the JEC is part of the long-
standing Zionist policy to undermine all
independent Palestinian institutions. It
is especially dangerous in this period of
increasing Israeli-Jordanian collabora-
tion to impose joint administration on
the West Bank. The JEC, like the West
Bank as such, is caught between the
hammer of Israeli occupation and the
anvil of King Hussein’s plans to absorb
the Palestinian national identity. The
conflict over the company has shown
that the real protectors of the Palesti-
nian national identity are the JEC
workers, the patriotic masses under
occupation and their nationalist
leadership.
Al Jamaheer Closed
Once again the Zionist occupation
authorities were disturbed by a
| Palestinian newspaper. This time it was
Al Jamaheer (The Masses), the
patriotic newspaper that has been
published in Nazareth for the last two
years. On August 9th, the occupation
authorities ordered Al Jamaheer clos-
ed. The charge was the same old one,
that it was financed by a Palestinian
organizat on abroad and expressed the
political views of this organization. A
similar pretext was previously used to
close down other publications such as
Al Mithag and Al Ahd last year, and to
expel Palestinian journalists such as
| Akram Hanieh. However, such charges
are only excuses for gagging any voice
that opposes the Zionist state. Such ac-
/tlons are not new to a state that was.
established by force and aggression.
The policy of trying to eliminate the
Palestinian identity dates back to 1948.
It has taken the form of massacres and
forcible expulsion of Palestinians, and
the confiscation of their land. It con-
tinues today with the Zionist iron fist,
The closure of Al Jamaheer stands as
a new proof that even freedom of ex-—
pression is considered a threat by the
Israeli authorities. It also confirms that.
words are an effective weapon in the
Palestinian liberation struggle. With
words, as with bullets, the Palestinian
revolution confronts the Zionist oc-.
cupation and paves the way to a better |
future for the masses. With words, we |
condemn the closure of Al Jamaheer |
and other Palestinian newspapers, and |
call on Arab and international public
opinion to join im this condemnation.
At the same time, we salute Al)
the Palestinian masses will continue |
their struggle against occupation, fin-
ding new ways to make their voice | - هو جزء من
- Democratic Palestine : 26
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