Speech of Dr. Nabeel Shaath

Speech of Dr. Nabeel Shaath The Commissioner General of International Relations Fatah Movement, Palestine To the Meeting of the Party of European Socialists (PES) Prague, the Czech Republic 7, 8 December, 2009 Mr. Chairman, Brothers and Sisters, Comrades It is a great pleasure to be here, with PES friends. I am happy to be in this beautiful and historical city; Prague. I would like to thank our gracious hosts for their wonderful hospitality. I am happy to be in the Eastern Part of the European Union, and see once again the major political, economic and social transformation that occurred in this important part of Europe, thus making it a more progressive and more democratic continent. I represent Fatah, the National Liberation Movement of the Palestinian people, founded by our great leader, the late Yasser Arafat, and led today by our president Mahmoud Abbas. I do bring you his greetings and best wishes for the success of your important meeting. Fatah is a democratic, progressive, and a revolutionary movement which led the struggle for Palestinian freedom, independence and the return of its refugees, to end the Israeli occupation of our land. Fatah is also the party that committed itself to peace and justice through negotiations, non-violent struggle, and resistance to occupation and oppression. We have been engaged for 18 years in a peace process based on international legality, leading to a two-state solution. We chose to build our institutions and government on the basis of democratic socialism. We are proud to be a member of Socialist International, adhering to its values and enjoying its support in the quest for peace, freedom and independence. Here, I would like to pay tribute to those pillars of Euro Socialism of our time who have supported the Palestinian People in its struggle for peace and justice: Bruno Kreisky, Olof Palme, Willy Brandt, and later on Anna Lindh, and many others. We have been enriched and inspired by our association with democratic socialist parties. Mr. Chairman Brothers and sisters I know the interest of this conference is focused on serious problems of the day: the global economic crisis, and the progressive agenda to manage globalization, and the Copenhagen conference attempting to save our environment to save our existence on earth. I know these are interrelated issues, and social democrats have a clear and distinctive input in developing a strategy to deal with them. I followed with great interest your statements, delivered with eloquence, and enthusiasm, and your frank and honest dialogue about the social democratic road to the future. We Palestinians are highly affected by these issues. More than half of our population are refugees expelled from their country, and are not allowed to go back home. In effect, our refugees have become migrant workers, seriously affected by the global economic downturn. Our budget is supported by financial assistance from international donors, which diminishes with the financial crisis. Israel, the occupying power in our country has a vast nuclear arsenal which is not subject to any inspection, as it is a non-signatory to the NPT. We have no way of assessing the environmental damage to our ground, climate and people from the Dimona Nuclear arms center, and from the Israeli practice of dumping waste in our land, with all the concomitant risks involved. However, the more serious risks to us, to our neighbors, region, and even to the world is caused by the continuing occupation of our country, leading to political and armed conflict, resulting into major destruction and instability. Two weeks ago, I participated with pleasure in the SI Council meeting in Santo Domingo. I read carefully the SI Council Report which stated these risks clearly, and allow me to quote from it: “ongoing political conflicts impede global development in its different dimensions. Some of these conflicts have not only a local impact, but a regional and global one. Their root causes need to be addressed in order to allow for economic, social, environmental, and cultural development. This requires upholding international law, ensuring respect for human rights, and addressing growing inequalities. A successful development strategy must include a strategy to end conflicts and to ensure people’s rights.” The SI report is absolutely on the mark. It could not have been more visionary in linking political factors to the global economic situation. The situation in the Middle East is a very obvious and relevant example. The PES should be most interested in engaging in the Middle East problem when it addresses global economic and environmental concerns from the progressive perspective of democratic socialism. President Obama had reached this conclusion early in his tenure as the President of the USA. In his speech in Cairo, he noted that the grievances of the Arab and Muslim World against the west in general, and America in particular, emanate primarily from the Palestinian tragedy and the way the U.S has dealt with it. He concluded that a solution of the Israeli Palestinian conflict will go a long way in creating a climate of trust that would assist in resolving problems in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, removing a major cause of instability and conflict in the area. Mr. Obama suggested that a quick remedy would require putting a full stop to all settlement activities in the west bank, including Jerusalem, and the so called “natural growth”. Once settlements freeze, negotiations could be resumed to create an independent State of Palestine, side by side with Israel. These negotiations would be based on the mutually and internationally accepted terms of reference, and would have a brief time line. Mr Obama‘s diagnosis and suggested medicine were right. He appointed a respected and highly experienced mediator; Mr. George Mitchel to carry out his ideas, and considered the Middle East his fist priority. Obama’s ideas were applauded by the Palestinians, the Arabs, and the international community. Mr. Netanyahu rejected both Obama’s diagnosis and medicine. With so many domestic and international problems on his hand, The President of the USA retracted, and retreated. As a result, we had to face yet again, a bleak and risky situation. In return, the extreme right wing government of Israel suggested a short term settlement moratorium that excludes Jerusalem (which accounts for 40% of all settlement activities) allowing building to accommodate settlers’ ‘’ natural growth ‘’ estimated at 1% in Israel , but consequent Israeli governments have allowed 9% to be more relevant for settlements’ growth! Mr. Netanyahu declared that government buildings would be exempted from the freeze as well, and to top it all, the Israeli government announced that it has allowed the building of 3500 additional housing units, that will not be included in the moratorium. Since Israel builds 2500 units annually on average in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, 2009-2010 will actually see more settlements built than in any year since 2001. That is the deceptive Netanyahu offer that Mrs. Clinton considered unprecedented!!! Mr. Obama was baffled and hesitant, so the Israelis announced yet another 900 housing units to be built in the Gilo settlement, between Jerusalem and Beit Jala, the announcement stunned the world. The EU presidency declared its dismay recalling that settlements activities, house demolitions and evictions in East Jerusalem are illegal under international law. Such activities, the EU presidency stated prejudice the outcome of final status negotiations and threaten the validity of the two- state solution. The Presidency recalled that the EU had never recognized the annexation of East Jerusalem in 1967, nor has it recognized the subsequent 1980 basic law. ‘’The actions taken by the Israeli government contravene repeated calls by the International Community , including the Quartet, and run counter to the creation of an atmosphere conducive to achieving a viable solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians” . “If there is to be a genuine peace, a way must be found to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of the two states’’. These were strong words from the EU, yet the EU institutions continued to discuss upgrading its relationships with Israel the occupying power, and split on endorsing the Goldstone Report, with seven European countries voting against, causing a painful and most disappointing reaction in Palestine and the Arab World. How could Europe vote against, or even abstain from voting on a matter relating to the gross violation of human rights of Palestinians in Gaza and Jerusalem?! How could Europe act against the principles for the violation of which millions of Jewish and Christian European civilians died in the Second World War? Which eventually led to the creation of the Geneva Conventions? What is it that makes Europe disown its own baby—international humanitarian law--when it comes to Israel? We really need to see Progressive Socialist parties, and the PES stand firmly against settlements and other war crimes and abuses of human rights, at least until we reach a permanent solution, and establish an Independent Palestinian State in Peace with Israel which has been the objective of our long standing commitment to the Peace Process, and 18 years of a negotiating experience. It is really very difficult to see how a process based on the Madrid Principle of “land for peace ‘’ can allow Israel to produce no peace, while devouring the land under negotiation. Israel is building houses for Israelis colonizing Arab East Jerusalem while destroying homes of Palestinians that have lived there for centuries. Twenty five thousand Palestinian homes were destroyed since 1967, 5000 since 2004!! When Egypt signed its peace agreement with Israel in Camp David in 1978, Israel’s Prime Minister Menachem Begin committed Israel to a 5 year settlement freeze, during which a Palestinian–Israeli agreement could be reached. Three months later, Mr. Begin reneged on his commitment. Mr. Carter told me in his home in Plains, Georgia, “I should have used my power to enforce that agreement. I failed to do so, which was a big mistake, and you paid the price.” And we did. In 1978, when Camp David was signed, there were 6000 settlers in the West Bank and Gaza. There are now 540,000 settlers in the West Bank. It is impossible to negotiate a territory that is shrinking by the day, and it is impossible to maintain a viable, contiguous territory to build a state on, while settlements are fragmenting it into 41 pieces, and a wall of separation made by steel and concrete 700 km long is snaking through it to protect these very settlements. This game of deception has been going on for 18 years; it must stop. We need to see a change on the ground before we head back to the table again. Israel’s unilateral actions are not confined only to settlement activities and wall building. Israel decided unilaterally to withdraw firm Gaza, and besiege it completely, invading it unilaterally at will. It decided unilaterally to reoccupy the whole West Bank, and isolate Arab East Jerusalem from the rest of Palestine. It unilaterally created the jungle of barricades, and road blocks that created in the West Bank what could remind you of the history of feudal Europe, and yet the Israeli government found our complaint to the Security Council asking for its recognition of our state on the 1967 border, a monstrous unilateral act that must be fought by boycott and reinvasion if necessary. Actually it was a decision designed to protect what remains of the two-state solution. As President Abbas approached his people and the world last month, declaring in dismay, his intention not to run again for reelection, as a result of the impasse, and the settlement catastrophe, he stood firm on the rights of the Palestinian people, and on the prospects for peace.”Peace based on the two-state solution is still valid and doable” he declared in Ramallah. He stated the eight points necessary for its success: 1. The terms of reference continue to be UN Resolution 242, 338, 1515, the road map, and the Arab peace plan, leading to a two state solution. Negotiations should be resumed, making use of progress achieved in Camp David, Taba, and Annapolis. 2. Borders should be based on the 4th of June borders, with swaps of equal value, provided our water rights and geographic contiguity are not affected. 3. East Jerusalem, occupied in 1967 will be the capital of the independent Palestinian State. Free access to the holy places will be guaranteed. 4. Refugees; a just and agreed solution will be based on UNGA 194, the Arab Plan, the Road Map. 5. Settlements in the 1967 occupied territory will be illegal ,all further settlement activities should be halted immediately 6. Security arrangements on the borders of the two states will be assigned to a third party. 7. Water rights; to be based on international law, with regional water cooperation. Our sovereignty extends over the ground, in the sky, underground, and into the territorial sea. 8. Our political prisoners, our heroes of freedom to be released. President Abbas repeated his readiness to move into negotiations on these bases once settlement activities are totally frozen, until an agreement is reached. Friends; Sisters and Brothers, Despite all the obstacles and difficulties we are still determined to succeed. We remain committed to democracy and social justice, but it is very difficult to achieve them under colonization, military occupation, discrimination, and denial of our political, and human rights. How can you manage an economy when you are deprived of the control of your land and water and the freedom of movement? How can you provide social justice when Gaza remains encircled? 20% of its homes are destroyed and their inhabitants remain without shelter, and yet Israel will not allow one bag of cement into Gaza to rebuild shelters for the winter. However, we have our own duties, and commitments: We commit ourselves to continue our non-violent struggle to achieve freedom, and independence and to create a democratic society and government in Palestine. We commit ourselves to achieve Palestinian unity and internal solidarity, and we thank the Egyptians for helping us achieve it, and finally we will never lose sight of the absolute necessity of creating peace with our Israeli neighbors, as neighbors and equal partners and not as occupiers and oppressors. There is no valid alternative to a just peace. It is superior to any other. We believe it is still possible and doable. We need your help to make it happen. It is not our fight alone. It is your fight and ours. Together we fight for dignity, freedom, equality, and justice. Together we struggle to end the last, and the longest remaining occupation in the world. Together we uphold progressive ideas about the national and human rights of all peoples. Together we can build the most important peace cherished by humanity today; the just and lasting peace in the Middle East, bringing security, stability and prosperity to all of us, and hope, for the children of Palestine and Israel.