Democratic Palestine : 27 (ص 32)
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- Democratic Palestine : 27 (ص 32)
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PLO Central Council Meeting
On October 5-7th, in Tunis, the PLO’s Central Council held its first session since the April PNC.
The Central Council session was
opened with roll call. Present were 66
Central Council members, more than
the two-thirds quorum required. Then
the agenda of the meeting was
announced to be as follows:
1. the Executive Committee’s political
report and discussion;
2. the situation in the occupied home-
land;
3. the situation in Lebanon;
4. the secretariat;
5. internal rules and regulations;
6. selection of the drafting committee;
7. other subjects proposed and agreed
upon by the council.
A comprehensive report was pre-
sented by PLO Executive Committee
Chairman Yasir Arafat, reviewing the
political developments on the Palesti-
nian and Arab levels, and the Executive
Committee’s activities since the April
PNC.
Abu Jihad, head of the PLO com-
mittee on the occupied land and Fatah
Central Committee member, presented
a report covering the situation in oc-
cupied Palestine. He stressed the
necessity of safeguarding the land and
developing a Palestinian national
economy.
Salah Salah, head of the Palestinian
National Work Committee in Lebanon
and PFLP Politbureau member, fol-
lowed with a report on the situation in
Lebanon. He emphasized the impor-
tance of Amal President Nabih Berri’s
initiative to end the camp war. He
added that nonetheless, given past
experience, caution should be exer-
cised, particularly after Amal had
sabotaged the implementation of the
September 11th agreement signed in
Sidon.
Abu Mazen, member of the PLO
Executive Committee, presented a
report dealing with the PLO’s relations
with Israeli forces. He attempted to
justify such contacts, claiming they
would raise conflict in the Zionist
entity, leading more Jewish forces to
recognize Palestinian rights. Nonethe-
32
less, he emphasized that such contacts
were not an alternative to armed
struggle and other forms of struggle,
for without this no Jewish forces would
have recognized Palestinian rights. He
said that such contacts were not nego-
tiations, but a form of dialogue with
forces and figures opposed to occupa-
tion.
Discussions followed these presenta-
tions. The first to open the discussion
was PFLP Secretary General George
Habash, who delivered an important,
comprehensive speech (see text in this
issue). The council’s discussions were
characterized by seriousness and a sense
of commitment, focusing on several
topics, the most important of which are
covered below.
RELATIONS WITH EGYPT
Concerning this issue, three trends
emerged in the discussions.
The first trend rejects contacts with
the Egyptian regime as long as it
adheres to the Camp David accords.
The proponents of this trend argue that
such contacts harm the PLO’s unity
and its international and Arab
alliances. This trend was articulated by
the Palestinian revolutionary demo-
cratic forces.
The second trend was very enthu-
siastic about the PLO’s relations with
the Egyptian regime, noting Egypt’s
importance and weight. The advocates
of this trend have the illusion that these
contacts will pull Egypt away from
Camp David. This trend was advocated
by Executive Committee member Jamal
Al Sourani and Fatah Central Com-
mittee member Hani Al Hassan who
even called for the Camp David
regime’s return to the Arab fold.
The third trend attempted to set
standards and restrictions for the
PLO’s relations with the Egyptian
regime. The supporters of this middle-
of-the-road trend don’t overestimate
the possibility of these relations pulling
Egypt away from Camp _ David.
However, they reject severing these
relations, in order to avoid negative
repercussions for the PLO. They called
for establishing standards to govern
these relations, and for studying the
effects of these relations with the Arab
national liberation movement and some
regimes.
RELATIONS WITH
ISRAELIS
There were four views on this issue:
1. The representatives of the Arab
Liberation Front registered reservations
on relations with Israeli forces, citing
the eventual harm they do to the Arab
and Palestinian struggle.
2. Some called for concentrating on
contacts with Israeli forces who are
serious in their support of Palestinian
rights and enjoy a degree of influence.
Close coordination with RAKAH, the
Israeli Communist Party, was called
for.
3. The PFLP’s representatives called
for limiting these relations to demo-
cratic, anti-Zionist, Israeli forces. The
PFLP considers that establishing con-
tacts with Zionist forces weakens the
conditions for confronting the Zionist
project and state, especially given the
UN resolution on Zionism as a racist
ideology.
4. The fourth trend pressed for going
beyond the PNC resolutions adopted
on this issue. It called for establishing
contacts with any Jewish forces that
recognize the legitimate rights of the
Palestinian people. - هو جزء من
- Democratic Palestine : 27
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