Democratic Palestine : 45 (ص 29)
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- Democratic Palestine : 45 (ص 29)
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ventured in the direction of Jezzine. The
government was obviously banking on
US intervention to ease army
deployment in Jezzine and avoid
confrontation with the Israeli and SLA
forces, but was it so naive to think such
US accomodation was forthcoming? In
any case, Israel has categorically refused
to withdraw either from Jezzine or the
occupied security zone. More likely than
Israeli withdrawal is a future attempt by
the US to have the Lebanese
government, at Israel’s behest, enact the
resettlement of Palestinians in Lebanon,
which is tantamount to forcing them to
relinguish their right to return to
Palestine. This could be part of the many
behind — the — scenes deals being
discussed in conjunction with the
proposed regional conference.
The struggle for South Lebanon is,
however, far from over, as seen in the
almost daily attacks on the Israeli
occupiers and SLA by _ Lebanese
resistance fighters. In this escalation of
resistance operations, four Israeli
soldiers were killed in the first half of
July, while the SLA has suffered even
heavier casualties. Israeli— SLA shelling
and bombing of southern villages
continues unabated, while on July 24th,
the Israeli air force struck as far north as
Damour, only nine miles from Beirut. It
is hard to see that sovereignty with any
real meaning has been established by the
Lebanese Army deployment.
In whose interests is it that
Palestinian blood be shed?
The following was translated by Amr Dasouaqi from Al Makatel Al
Thawri (The Revolutionary Fighter), the magazine of the PFLP’s
military department, issue no. 102, July 1991.
Despite the flexibility demonstrated
by the Palestinian leadership vis — a — vis
the Taif agreement and the deployment
of the Lebanese Army, this army opened
fire on the Palestinians in South
Lebanon. The Lebanese authorities
insisted on postponing an Official
dialogue with the Palestinian leadership
and instead launched a campaign of
searches, raids and arrests against
Palestinians in a number of areas. But
most surprising were the statements of
the Lebanese Army commanders and a
number of ministers lauding the great
victory scored against the Palestinians.
These statements reached a degree that
would make one think that the victory
had been scored against the Zionist
enemy and its agents, who have seized
extensive areas of South Lebanon.
It is noteworthy that these areas of
South Lebanon are, from a Zionist
perspective, regarded as part and parcel
of «Greater Israel.» This view has been
reiterated by the Zionist leaders who
repeatedly announce that Israel will not
withdraw from South Lebanon, even if
the Palestinian military presence is
totally eliminated.
Why then did the Lebanese
authorities create these clashes? In
whose interests are these «victories» they
are talking about? In whose interests is
the campaign of searches, raids and
arrests launched by the Lebanese
authorities, despite their knowledge of
how flexible and _ responsive the
Democratic Palestine, August 1991
Palestinians have been in relation to the
Taif agreement and the deployment of
the Lebanese Army throughout. all
Lebanon? Why did the Lebanese
authorities insist on fighting instead of
talking?
There is no doubt that the Lebanese
authorities were banking on the illusive
promises of the US, and thus working to
meet the Israeli conditions which
stipulate liquidation of the Palestinian
revolution, the Lebanese National
Resistance Front and the Islamic
nationalist forces, in order to guarantee
Israel’s northern borders. In return, the
Lebanese authorities vainly hope that
UN resolution 425, stipulating Israeli
withdrawal from Lebanon, will be
implemented. It seems that the
authorities have totally forgotten about
the Zionists’ dreams of controlling the
water resources of South Lebanon,
chiefly the Litani River, and _ their
relentless efforts to bind Lebanon with
economic and security treaties. Until
Israel achieves these goals, it will
continue blackmailing the Lebanese
authorities by demanding withdrawal of
the Syrian troops from Lebanon.
Moreover, Israel will continue its efforts
to abrogate the Treaty of Friendship and
Cooperation between Syria and
Lebanon, and to sever Lebanon’s ties
with the Arab world under false security
pretexts.
Together with their Lebanese
brothers, the Palestinians have offered
great sacrifices to defend Lebanon
against the Zionists’ greedy ambitions
and to liberate the occupied parts of
Lebanon. The Palestinians remain wil-
ling to participate in this struggle of de-
fense and liberation. More importantly,
the Palestinians have learned from their
own experience that the Palestinian
camps and masses and the Lebanese land
and people can only be protected by the
joint Palestinian — Lebanese resistance,
which should continue as long as Isracl
continues to occupy Lebanese territory.
In addition, it has become verv clear
that. in principle, the Palestinians in
Lebanon have the same rights and duties
as the Lebanese people. and that they
should enjoy these rights after having
been deprived of them for so long.
Hence, it is necessary to continue
dialogue between the Lebanese
government and the PLO, the
sole, legitimate representative of the
Palestinian people wherever they are.
This dialogue should resolve all unsettled
issues and address the points of
disagreement in order to resolve them in
a democratic manner — removed from
threats and fighting. In our view, all
fighting should be directed against the
Zionist enemy.
When the UN Security Council
passed resolution 425 in 1978, there was
no mention of the Palestinian armed
presence in Lebanon. Therefore, all
Lebanese and Arab endeavors should be
channeled into forcing Israel to comply
with that resolution unconditionally.
Instead of pressuring the nationalist
resistance, pressure should be exerted on
the US, the self — proclaimed «guardian
of human rights» and «defender» of UN
resolutions, because the US along with
its stepchild, Israel, is the party
hampering implementation of this UN
resolution, as well as those pertaining to
the Palestinian question. The Palesti-
nians, on the contrary, have been
struggling to enact these resolutions.
The Lebanese authorities should also
know that the sole beneficiary of the
destruction of the Palestinian and
Lebanese national resistance is the
Zionist enemy and, of course, the US
administration.
Finally, dialogue between the
Lebanese government and the PLO is a
very urgent matter; it is also incumbent
on the Lebanese nationalist forces and
personages to reject the army’s
transgressions against the Palestinian
camps. These matters are no _ less
important than the collective task of
confronting the Zionist enemy to force it
to relinguish the parts of Lebanon it has
occupied. We should all move now
before it is too late — before we all fall
victim to the Zionist state’s ambitions. @
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