Israel Resource Review |
22nd November, 2002 |
Contents:
"Distribution of the Iraqi
President's Grants to Families of Martyrs of Al-Shuyukh
Massacre"
Ali al-Qawasimi
Jerusalem Al-Quds in Arabic
[FBIS Translated Text] The Arab Liberation Front [ALF], in cooperation
with the Fatah Movement in Al-Shuyukh, held a reception at the charity
society hall in honor of the families of Al-Shuyukh massacre martyrs,
during which Iraqi President Saddam Husayn's grants were distributed.
All the speakers condemned the US aggression against Iraq and the
Israeli aggression against Palestine, and called for working for the
immediate release of ALF Secretary General Rakad Salim, who was arrested
for his activity in honor of the martyrs and wounded. They considered
his arrest as well as the arrest of the leaders of Palestinian factions
and their strugglers a violation of all international conventions and
treaties.
Deputy Abbas Zaki affirmed that the aggression against Palestine and
the one against Iraq are the same. He added that the connection between
Palestine and Iraq embodied by President Saddam Husayn by word and deed
will not be broken and that the Iraq's pan-Arab program will not be
complete without the liberation of Palestine.
Hajj Ratib al-Imlah, ALF leadership member, conveyed the greetings
of the front's secretary general, who is rotting in the occupation's
jail, indicating that Salim trusts us to continue honoring the sons of
martyrs. Al-Imlah asserted that Iraq under the leadership of Saddam
will not renounce its pan-Arab duties in support of the Palestinian
people's steadfastness.
The Fatah representative in Al-Shuyukh promised the sons of our
people, especially the martyrs' sons, that Fatah, the ALF, and all our
factions will continue the path of martyrs until the liberation of the
land and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Holy
Jerusalem as its capital.
Emotions ran high when the fathers of the martyrs spoke, who, despite
the pain, stood up and said that their sons are a gift for the sake of
the land of Palestine. They thanked Iraq and its president for their
noble support of the sons of Palestine.
At the end of the ceremony, checks for thousands of dollars were
given to each family of the martyrs of the Al-Shuyukh massacre that the
Israeli forces committed at dawn on 1 September, in which martyrs Hisham,
Husam Na'im, and Attiyah al-Halayiqah and Ala al-Ayayidah were killed.
[Description of Source: Jerusalem Al-Quds in Arabic -- Independent,
largest circulation Palestinian newspaper; supports Palestinian Authority
and peace process;]
Appeared in Al Quds on 16 November, 2002
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PLO Military Commander Dahlan
Endorses Mitzna
Noam Amit
Correspondent, Maariv
On one of the first nights of Operation
Defensive Shield, when Ramallah was under siege and soldiers
were searching every house, Mohammed Dahlan phoned Avi Gil,
until recently the Foreign Ministry director general, and told
him: "Avi, you will never beat us." Gil was surprised. "Your
soldiers are screening blue movies on cable in Ramallah,
everyone here is shut up their house, and by the time you leave,
there will be a lot more Palestinian babies than dead
Palestinians."
This week too, Dahlan remained cynical. A day after IDF troops raided
the Preventive Security Service headquarters in Gaza, which up until April
was under his command and is today headed by his associate, Rashid Abu
Shabak, and discovered weapons and documents indicating that the Preventive
Security Service is plagued with terror, he sits in his temporary office in
the Rimal neighborhood and aims his stings in all directions. "What's funny
is that the new defense minister is pleased over the operation in the Gaza
headquarters. What is he pleased about, walls and partitions? Computers
with nothing on them? Instead of going into the empty rooms of the
Preventive Security Service, let him explain the embarrassing incident in
Hebron," Dahlan says.
At age 42, Dahlan has time to sting. The man considered one of the
strongest in the Palestinian Authority, with thousands of Arafat time, is a
permanent participant in secret talks with most Israeli leaders, sits in
the villa of a friend in Gaza which he uses as an office, and puts his free
time to good use since he quit his job as national security adviser in
October. "Lots of people, when they suddenly quit a high-ranking job, don't
know how to handle the break and the time, and they suffer. I enjoy every
moment. I get up when I want, go to sleep when I want. I like it this
way," says Dahlan.
In the next room, one of his aides is on the internet, following the
news. When the printer spits out a news item from Ma'ariv, that Mitzna
declared that he would evacuate all the settlements in the Gaza Strip if
elected prime minister, great joy is felt in the room. "The man we find
acceptable in the Labor Party is the man who respects the Palestinian
people and he looks at the peace process in the long term and has the
courage to say the truth," says Dahlan. "This is the man closest our hearts
and we are willing to do whatever is needed to reach an agreement with him.
Anybody willing to come toward the Palestinians and make an agreement, he
is the man we consider the most worthy."
Dahlan is a polished politician. The more he compliments Mitzna, the
more he criticizes Fuad. "There are some people in the Labor Party that
are worse than the NRP. Having Mitzna as the leader of the Labor Party will
restore hope for peace. It is the responsibility of all the Labor Party
members and the responsibility of the citizens of Israel. The citizen who
goes to the polling booth must have a decision in his mind: either terror
attacks in the heart of Tel Aviv or a peace process. Either vote for the
Right and continue with the present situation, or vote Left and put an end
to terror attacks.
"Since Rabin's assassination there has not been a leader as courageous
as Mitzna. If he is elected prime minister, there will be a peace
agreement within a year. The position of the Palestinian people and of the
Palestinian Authority is not to interfere in Israel's internal affairs. But
when are asked to choose with whom to team up, with the settlers and the
Likud or with the Labor Party, obviously we know whom to choose."
Question: So in fact you're willing to only make peace with the Left?
"The moment there is prime minister in Israel who respects the
Palestinian people, we will not hesitate to make efforts to stop terror
attacks."
Question: Now you're not making efforts?
"We are letting the IDF's tanks and APCs try. The moment they tire, let
them go home. We have no problem with that. They come in in all sorts of
helicopters, Apaches and lie to the people."
Question: What lies are you referring to?
"There are facts on the ground that the government does not say. Their
slogan is to restore security. What security? The Israelis will not have
security as long as the Palestinian people are humiliated. The solution is
to respect us and to give us our rights. This is a fact that the people in
Israel, not just the leaders, do not like to hear. You like to hear that
Arafat is guilty and that he is the only factor in the disasters in our
region. The army said that the general staff reconnaissance unit had again
captured Jenin and the refugee camp there. The next day there was a terror
attack."
Question: The terror attacks also hurt the Palestinians.
"Of course we made mistakes. This Intifada is not being run by computer
and by a catalogue and we have to learn the lessons. But you have to
realize the message of this war. I am not talking about terror attacks in
Nahariya or Tel Aviv, which the PA really was opposed to, but which we
cannot prevent because the Israeli army took security control of the
territories. They seized all the buildings and reoccupied the West Bank.
Mabruk. Good for you. But let them not come now and ask me why I am not
being responsible.
"The IDF wants to control security on the West Bank, be my guest. But
let the army do the work and deliver the goods. The situation of the army
and of Sharon is that they want to occupy the West Bank and destroy
everything. They present their acts as successful. The next day there is a
terror attack and they find no one to blame except for Yasser Arafat.
That's your solution, you blame him, but then what, what happens after
that? Sharon and the army lie to you and I offer you a different way. You
will give up, you're not made to control the West Bank, as long as you do
not give us our rights.
"There's a much simpler way, respect us, respect the people who are
killed every day waiting at the roadblocks in the West Bank. The moment you
kill a baby, a public figure should stand up and apologize. Your leaders
only know how to ask us to apologize. That is why I've despaired. There
will never be peace with the present government, Sharon can dream of such a
peace as much as he likes at his farm, but he can forget it. The only
solution is you there and we here, and anyone who comes or even thinks
about crossing our border, we'll arrest them or fight them, we'll handle
them. You are being lied to all the time saying that we want to go back to
Tel Aviv and Haifa. I tell you, the majority of the Palestinian people do
not want that." [ . . . ]
This appeared in Maariv on November 22, 2002
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