A conference, tasked with coming up with a comprehensive
Palestinian national dialogue, was held in the cities of Ramallah
and Gaza on May 25 and 26, 2006. The event was held under the
patronage of Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), Secretary of the Executive
Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and
President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), in response
to a call by the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and in
partnership with the head of the Government and representatives of
the National and the Legislative councils, representatives of
national and Islamic forces and representatives of civil society
organizations. The closing statement highlighted the conciliation
document composed by prisoners in Israeli jails, which was
considered as a basis for maintaining the dialogue. The decision
was taken to form a national dialogue committee headed by Abbas and
which, after lengthy discussions, concluded the following agreement
on a national conciliation document.
In the name of God, the Compassionate and the Merciful,
"Abide by the decree of God and never disperse" (a verse from the
Holy Qur'an)
Preamble
Emanating from a high sense of national and historical
responsibility, and because of the dangers facing our people, and
stemming from the principle that rights cannot be relinquished and
the occupation cannot be legitimized, and with the intention of
reinforcing and consolidating the internal Palestinian front and
preserving national unity in the homeland and in the Diaspora, and
for the purpose of confronting the Israeli design which aims to
impose an Israeli solution on our people, crushing their dreams and
hindering their right to establish their independent fully
sovereign Palestinian state - the scheme that the Israeli
government intends to implement during the upcoming phase,
comprising the construction and completion of the separation wall,
the Judaization of Jerusalem, the expansion of Israeli settlements,
the seizure of the Jordan Valley, the annexation of vast areas of
the West Bank, and the blocking of our people from exercising their
right of return;
And with the end of preserving the accomplishments and acquisitions
our people have achieved throughout their long struggle, and in
loyalty to our martyrs, prisoners, and injured, and because we are
still in the phase of liberation, grounded in a high sense of
nationalism and democracy; all this dictates the adoption of a
political and resistance strategy commensurate with these
challenges, and the success of the comprehensive Palestinian
national dialogue, based on the Cairo Declaration and the urgent
call for unity and solidarity, we therefore present this document
(the national conciliation document) to our great steadfast people,
to President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), to the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO) leadership, to the Prime Minister Ismail
Haniyeh, to the Cabinet, to the Speaker and members of the
Palestinian National Council (PNC), to the Speaker and members of
the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), to all Palestinian
forces and factions, to all nongovernmental and popular
organizations and institutions, and to the leaders of Palestinian
public opinion in the homeland and the Diaspora.
This national conciliation document is considered an integral
package and the preamble is part and parcel of it. 1. The Palestinian people in the homeland and the Diaspora
seek to liberate their land, to obtain the evacuation of the
settlements and settlers, the removal of the separation wall, to
stop the annexation, and to achieve their right to freedom, return
and independence. In this spirit, they look to exercise their right
to self-determination, including the right to establish their
independent state on all the territories occupied in 1967, with
al-Quds al-Shareef [Jerusalem] as its capital; to secure the right
of the refugees to return to their homes and properties, from which
they were driven out, and their right to compensation; to obtain
the liberation of all prisoners and detainees, without exception or
discrimination, basing their claims in all this on the historical
right of our people on the land of their fathers and forefathers,
on the UN Charter, and on international law and legitimacy. 2. To accelerate the implementation of that which was agreed
upon in Cairo in March 2005 pertaining to the reinvigoration and
reactivation of the PLO and the incorporation of all the forces and
factions in accordance with democratic principles, which solidifies
the position of the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of
all the Palestinian people wherever they may be, and in keeping
with the changes on the Palestinian scene and which strengthen the
position of the PLO as the competence that can meet the changes on
the Palestinian arena and can assume its responsibilities in
leading and mobilizing our people in the homeland and the Diaspora;
and to defend their national, political and human rights in the
various forums and circles in all the international and regional
arenas. Furthermore, our national interest calls for the formation
of a new PNC before the end of 2006 through elections whenever
possible, according to the principle of proportional
representation, and by consensus if elections are not possible,
according to mechanisms to be laid down by the higher committee
deriving from the Cairo Declaration. It also calls for the
preservation of the PLO as a broad front and framework and a
comprehensive national coalition that incorporates and will remain
the highest political reference of all the Palestinians in the
homeland and in the Diaspora. 3. To affirm the right of the Palestinian people to resist
the occupation, to preserve the option of resistance by various
means, and to concentrate the resistance in the territories
occupied in 1967, concomitantly with political action, negotiations
and diplomacy. To pursue the popular resistance against the
occupation in all its forms and policies and to focus on the
expansion of the participation of the various groups, fronts and
sectors of our people in this popular resistance. 4. To formulate a Palestinian plan aimed at comprehensive
political action; to unify Palestinian political discourse based on
the Palestinian national goals as put forth in this document and on
Arab legitimacy and international resolutions that grant justice to
our people and that safeguard the rights and constants of our
people, implemented by the PLO and its institutions and the PNA
with its president and government, the national and Islamic
factions, civil society organizations, and public figures and
operatives. To accomplish this with a view to mobilize and
consolidate Arab, Islamic and international political, financial,
economic and humanitarian backing for our people and its PNA; to
win their support for the right of our people to
self-determination, freedom, return, and independence; and,
furthermore, to confront Israel's plan to impose any unilateral
solution on our people, and the oppressive siege against us. 5. To protect and strengthen the PNA as it is the nucleus of
our future state and was born out of the struggle, sacrifices and
sufferings of the Palestinian people; to stress that higher
national interests call for the upholding of the PNA Basic Law and
the laws in force, and to respect the authority and
responsibilities of the president who was elected according to the
will of the Palestinian people through free, open and democratic
elections. Also, to respect the authority and responsibilities of
the government that was given the vote of confidence by the PLC
elected in free, democratic and fair elections.
To focus on the importance and need for creative cooperation
between the presidency and the government, and on the importance of
joint action and periodic meetings between them to bring about and
reinforce cooperation and complementarity according to the Basic
Law and for the sake of the higher interests of the Palestinians;
additionally, to focus on the need for comprehensive reforms in PNA
institutions, especially the judiciary, abiding by its authority,
and securing the implementation of all its rulings, and the
consolidation and endorsement of the sovereignty of the law. 6. To work on forming a national unity government that
secures the participation of parliamentary blocs, and the political
forces desirous of participating on the basis of this document and
a joint program designed to advance the Palestinian condition on
the local, Arab, regional and international levels. To confront any
challenges through the building of a national and strong government
that enjoys Palestinian popular and political support from all
forces, as well as Arab and international backing. To implement a
program of reform to develop the national economy and encourage
investment, to fight poverty and unemployment, and to extend the
best possible care to the groups that have born the brunt of
steadfastness, resistance and intifada and have been victims of
Israeli aggression, especially the families of martyrs, prisoners
and injured, and the owners of homes demolished and properties
destroyed by the occupation. 7. To acknowledge that the task of conducting the
negotiations falls within the jurisdiction of the PLO and the
President of the PNA, predicated on the adherence to the
Palestinian national goals as stated in this document with the
condition that any agreement pertaining to the matter be referred
to the new PNC for ratification and endorsement, or presented for a
general referendum in the homeland and the Diaspora whenever
possible according to a law that regulates it. 8. To recognize the liberation of the prisoners and
detainees is a sacred national duty that must be assumed through
all possible means by all Palestinian national and Islamic forces
and factions, and by the PLO and the PNA President and government,
the PLC and all the resistance forces. 9. To double the efforts to support and care for the
Palestine refugees and defend their rights and to work for the
holding of a popular conference for the refugees, proceeding from
follow-up committees, with its duty to stress on the right of
return, to adhere to this right, and to call on the international
community to implement Resolution 194 which stipulates the right of
the refugees to return and to be compensated. 10. To work on forming a unified resistance front to be
called "the Palestinian resistance front," to lead and engage in
resistance against the occupation and to unify and coordinate
action and resistance, and to define a unified political reference
for the front. 11. To observe the democratic system and to hold regular,
general, free and open elections in accordance with the law, for
the presidency, the PLC, and local and municipal councils, and
unions, syndicates and societies, and to respect the principle of a
peaceful and smooth transfer of authority; and to ensure the
principle of separation of powers, to undertake to protect the
Palestinian democratic experience and any democratic choice and its
outcomes; and to respect the sovereignty of the law, individual and
public freedoms, human rights, freedom of the press, and equality
among the citizens in rights and duties without discrimination; and
to protect the achievements of women and to enhance and promote
them. 12. To reject and denounce the oppressive siege that is
being led by the U.S. and Israel against our people and to call on
the Arab brethren at the popular and official levels to support the
Palestinian people, the PLO and the PNA and to call on the Arab
governments to implement the political, financial, economic
resolutions of the summits and the decisions carried by the media
supporting the Palestinian people and their national cause; to
stress that the PNA is committed to the Arab consensus and to joint
Arab action that supports our just cause and the higher Arab
interests. 13. To call on the Palestinian people to strive for unity
and solidarity, to unify their ranks and to support the PLO and the
PNA with its president and government; to endorse the people's
steadfastness and resistance in the face of Israeli aggression and
siege and to reject any interference in internal Palestinian
affairs. 14. To denounce all forms of rifts and discord and whatever
leads to internal strife; to condemn and ban the use of weapons,
and to forbid the use of arms among the members of one people in
settling internal disputes regardless of the justification; to
stress on the sanctity of Palestinian blood and to adopt dialogue
as the sole means of resolving disagreements. To promote freedom of
expression via all means, including the opposition to the Authority
and its resolutions, based on the endorsement of the law for the
right of peaceful protest and the organization of marches,
demonstrations, and sit-ins, on the condition that these are
peaceful and weapon-free, and to proscribe any acts of vandalism
against private or public property. 15. To look for the most appropriate means and mechanisms to
allow for the continuing participation of our people and their
national, political, and social forces wherever they may be in the
battle for freedom, return, and independence; and to take into
consideration the new situation of the Gaza Strip which makes it a
true force of the steadfastness of our people and an example in the
use of efficient means and methods in resisting the occupation
while taking the higher interests of our people into
consideration. 16. To reform, develop and modernize the Palestinian
security apparatus in all its branches in a manner that allows them
to better assume their task in defending the homeland and the
people, and to confront aggression and occupation; to maintain
security and public order, to enforce laws, to end the state of
chaos and lawlessness, to end armed parades and the public display
of weapons and to confiscate them as this brings considerable harm
to the resistance and distorts its image and threatens the unity of
Palestinian society; to coordinate and restructure the relationship
between the security forces and the resistance forces and
formations, and to regulate and protect the possession of
weapons. 17. To call on the PLC to continue issuing laws that
regulate the work of the security apparatus in its various branches
and to work towards issuing a law that bans the exercise of
political and partisan involvement by members of the security
services, and to require them to abide by the elected political
reference as defined by law. 18. To work on the expansion of the role and presence of
international solidarity committees and peace-loving groups to
support our people in their steadfastness and just struggle against
the occupation and its practices, against settlements, the
separation wall, and annexation, and to work towards the
implementation of the ruling of the International Court of Justice
at The Hague pertaining to the dismantlement of the separation wall
and the settlements and their illegal presence.
Signed by: FATEH, HAMAS, Islamic Jihad Movement, PFLP,
and DFLP.
Note: Islamic Jihad expressed reservations on the clause
pertaining to the negotiations.
Translated from Arabic by thePalestine-Israel
Journal.
