Democratic Palestine : 30 (ص 4)
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- عنوان
- Democratic Palestine : 30 (ص 4)
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Press Conference
On August 8th, Dr. George Habash, General Secretary of the PFLP,
held a press conference in Damascus. The following is his response to
journalists’ questions concerning the Jordanian regime’s measures.
What is the PFLP’s stand towards the latest Jor-
danian measures and towards a Palestinian
government-in-exile?
These measures are welcome; in fact, we consider them as a
positive result of the uprising and a victory. The uprising has
cancelled the Jordanian option, but we should ask ourselves:
What is the aim of the Jordanian regime in taking such
measures? Is the regime’s aim really an affirmation of the
decisive victory which the uprising has achieved?
We must answer this question in the light of our historical
experience with the Jordanian regime and its policies against
the Palestinian cause, revolution and the PLO - the policies of
annexation and the attempts to cancel the Palestinian role. In
this light, we think that the Jordanian regime’s aim with these
measures is to cast new responsibilities on the PLO, so that it
will sink under their weight. Accordingly, the PLO will be
forced to return to the regime in order to seek a form of part-
nership with it in all things related to the Palestinian question.
We therefore demand that the PLO accept this challenge and
take all the steps needed to respond to it, on the basis of the
uprising’s goal of freedom, independence and an independent
Palestinian state.
We believe that the PLO can face the challenge, based on the
potentials of the Palestinian masses in the homeland, the
PLO’s own capacity including its material resources, and sup-
port from the PLO’s Arab and international allies, and also the
UN institutions. Based on this, the PLO can say to the Jorda-
nian regime: These measures are welcome and we are capable
of responding to all the demands of this step.
Concerning a Palestinian national government, undoubtedly
you remember the PFLP’s stand when this question was raised
in the first month of the uprising. We said then that we are not
thinking of a government-in-exile, because we are not at the
gates of victory, but at the gates of a new stage which requires
hard and long struggle to change the balance of forces in a way
which will facilitate a Palestinian state. We therefore rejected
the establishment of a Palestinian government. However, the
PFLP takes changes into consideration.
We cannot consider the establishment of a Palestinian
government on the basis that we are at the gates of victory,
because we still need a long stage to achieve victory. However,
the Jordanian measures dissolved all legal and administrative
relations with the Palestinian West Bank. Therefore, some
Israeli circles demanded annexation of the Palestinian ter-
ritories, and subjugating them to Israeli law, due to the legal
vacuum which resulted from the latest step of the Jordanian
regime.
What laws now govern our people’s life in the Palestinian
West Bank and Gaza Strip?
4
There is a new basis for thinking of a Palestinian govern-
ment; it doesn’t mean that we are at the gates of victory, but it
is necessary to find laws to govern our people’s life in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip. In the light of this, in the last meeting of
the Central Council held in Baghdad, the PLO decided to form
a political-legal committee to answer the question: Who will
fill the vacuum and how? A meeting of the PLO’s leaders will
be held at the end of this month to respond to this question.
The PFLP will be ready to deal with all possibilities. Our in-
terest is to succeed in responding to the present challenge. If we
find that forming a Palestinian government is necessary to
succeed in facing the challenge, we will not hesitate.
Of course, forming a government-in-exile is not the sole
response to the measures of the Jordanian regime. Shortly, in
the next meeting of the Palestinian leaders, we will discuss the
subject of the presence of UN troops for an interim period, asa
stage of transition which would enable us to convene an inter-
national conference in order to facilitate the establishment of
an independent Palestinian state. This has been adopted a few
months ago by the PLO’s institutions. Our Arab and interna-
tionalist friends had questioned us about how we think to 1m-
plement our concept of establishing a Palestinian state, and
about the uprising’s ability to achieve the slogan of freedom
and independence. Our response was the following: The upris-
ing continues in order to defeat the occupation; meanwhile, we
demand the presence of UN troops; then, there will be a UN
presence connected with the subject of an international con-
ference, in which we see the mechanism to achieve the interim
aim of the PLO.
The PFLP’s response to this question is not enough. The
response of the Palestinian leadership is required. We will be
intent, in the next meeting, to attain a united response from the
PLO’s bodies concerning this subject. A Palestinian national
government is not the sole possibility; there are others as well. I
want to affirm that taking such a step requires a discussion
with the Arab and internationalist forces who are supporting
the Palestinians’ national rights.
In the case of establishing a Palestinian national
government-in-exile, will it take the place of the
PLO?
The PLO will remain existent with its covenant and interim
program. The PLO is the sole, legitimate representative of the
Palestinian people. If there is a government, it will be one of
the PLO’s instruments.
What reaction do you expect from the Arab and
non-aligned states to the establishment of a
Palestinian government-in-exile?
Concerning the first part of the question, and based on the - هو جزء من
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