Democratic Palestine : 36 (ص 37)
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- Democratic Palestine : 36 (ص 37)
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PFLP Anniversary Celebration
On the fourteenth of December, 1989, about ten
thousand people gathered at the Palestine hall in Yarmuk
camp in a festive atmosphere amidst an array of Palestinian
flags and banners to celebrate the twenty-second anniversary
of the founding of the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine, and the second anniversary of the intifada.
Present were representatives from the Palestinian resis-
tence movement, the socialist countries, represented by
Cuba, Arab and international movements and the Syrian
Baath Party.
Solidarity speeches were delivered by representatives from
the Arab Socialist Baath Party, the Lebanese National
Resistence Front, North and South Yemen, and the Socialist
Countries.
The keynote speech was delivered by Comrade George
Habash, the general secretary of the PFLP, the following
are excerpts:
Habash began his speech by «conveying his greetings and
the greetings of all those attending, to the heroic Palestinian
people in Palestine, to the «children of the stones», to the
people in the steadfast city of Beit Sahur, and Gaza, to the
«Red Eagles» and «Black Panthers» in Nablus, to Palesti-
nian workers, peasants, merchants, students, in every city,
town, village, and camp in Palestine, to all those heroes who
have redeemed to the Arab peoples their dignity and self-
esteem, which was squandered by Sadat and others who suc-
cumbed to the Zionist onslaught, and to imperialism.
«We join hands with these milttants, and raise
together the banner of freedom, and march together with
firm determination until the attainment of the goal and slo-
gan which was raised two years ago--the slogan of «freedom
and independence», and establish an independent sovereign
state in Palestine, which would forge the beginning of a pro-
found historical march encompassing the entire Arab nation.
Such events (anniversary celebrations) are opportunities
to visualize with clarity the political situation which would
enable us to determine a correct and precise political line,
as well as the tasks, in order to utilize our full potential and
mobilize our resources to carry out these tasks.
Now two years since the intifada began, how do we assess
the intifada during these first two years? What are the obs-
tacles which stand in the way of the establishment of a
Palestinian state, and the achievement of self-determination
and the right of return? What lessons can we draw so far,
and specifically during the last year after the nineteenth
Palestine National Council meeting? What are the direct
tasks? What are the short-term tasks? What are the long-
term tasks?»
The intifada unmasked the true nature of Zionism
In answering these questions, Habash indicated the <his-
torical gains made by the intifada whereas the world has
now come to know the true nature of Israel and Zionism,
as well as the situation of the Palestinians, and the fact that
any solution to the Middle East crisis cannot ignore the
Palestine question...the intifada has compelled the Jorda-
nian regime to sever its ties with the Palestinian West Bank,
Democratic Palestine December 1989
which put the Israeli Labor party and the US administration
before a new reality--only the Palestinians can speak about
the future of the Palestinian occupied territories...We can
summarize the many and important gains made by the
intifada, in that it has transcended the slogan of the Pales-
tinian state from the historical viability to the realistic feasi-
bility...however it is also our duty in addition to recognizing
the gains, to also point out the obstacles before the realiza-
tion of the slogan-freedom and independence.
We should keep in mind that the long road still ahead is
more arduous, when the PFLP said that the Palestinian state
has become a realistic possibility, we were careful not to
give the masses false hope. When we made that declaration,
it was with the understanding that this entails a lot of hard
work and a program to guide this work in the coming years,
in order to bridge the gap between declaring independence
and the establishment of a Palestinian state in Palestine.»
Habash alluded to Israel’s intransigence, «No to recogniz-
ing the PLO, no to a Palestinian state, no to self-determi-
nation... Yes to establishing more Israeli settlements...» and
the official US policy reflected in the strategic alliance with
Israel and the US’s refusal to take any step towards a set-
tlement without Israeli approval.
Conyening a new PNC
He added by saying, «In light of this dangerous and pre-
carious stage, and in order for the PLO leadership not to
give anymore gratuitous concessions, we in the PFLP call
for the convening of a new Palestine National Council meet-
ing in order to appraise the developments since the conven-
ing of the last PNC and the present critical stage, and to
draw lessons so that this twentieth PNC will advance the
intifada.
...We are in a dire need for such an assessment which
should be conducted on the basis of consolidating the
intifada and bolstering national unity. We should concur-
rently review the PLO’s strategy during this period, and in
particular in the diplomatic arena which constitutes the core
of its activity. Although we in the PFLP feel that diplomatic
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