On the 60th Anniversary of World Catastrophe, Duwaik and Sa'adat Stress Right of Return for Palestinian Refugees

Sa'adat stresses on the Right of Return, calls for reconciliation between Fateh and Hamas

Tuesday May 13, 2008 00:38 by IMEMC News

The Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Ahmed Sa'adat, who is detained in Israeli occupation prisons, stated during a court hearing on Monday that the Right of Return of all refugees is a Red Line and called for reconciliation between Fateh and Hamas.

Sa'adat said that the Right of Return is the “bridge which links the Palestinians with their historic and national rights”, and called on resuming resistance until establishing a democratic Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital.

The statements of Sa'adat came during the opening of an Israeli court hearing in Ofer military court, near Ramallah. He was surrounded by several soldiers and court guards.

He called on all factions, especially Hamas and Fateh, to resume internal dialogue in order to end the tension and maintain national unity.

The PFLP leader called for withdrawing the Arab peace initiative and for conducting international campaigns against the Israeli occupation. He stated that Israel should be treated as “a hostile and racist entity”.

He also demanded President Mahmoud Abbas to halt all talks with Israel especially since the Israeli occupation is ongoing with its aggression and the construction of settlements.

Commenting on the court hearing against him, Sa'adat said that he does not recognize this court or its alleged authority since it resembles the Israeli military occupation of Palestine.

“I reject to be a defendant in this court”, Sa'adat said, “I do not defend myself as a person, I defend my nation and our just cause”.

It is worth mentioning that the court voided a session which was supposed to be held on May 14, and gave the prosecution a two-month period to submit its written case. The new session might be held by the end of June.

The Israeli Prison Administration is still barring the family of Sa'adat from visiting him. Initially this order was set for three months, but Israel renewed it without any explanation.

Duwaik: Return of Palestinian refugees is a sacred right

[ 13/05/2008 - 01:00 AM ]

AL-KHALIL, (PIC)--

Kidnapped Hamas senior political leader and speaker of the PA legislature MP Dr. Aziz Dwaik described on Monday the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees as the "hard rock" on which the dreams of the Israeli occupation will be broken.

In this regard, Duwaik made it clear that none has the right to tamper with the right of return (RoR) being a sacred right of the 6 million Palestinians living in refugee camps inside occupied Palestine and in Diaspora, underlining that UN resolutions sanction that right.

Duwaik said this in an interview with the information office of MP Sameera Al-Halaika through his counsel, and the PIC obtained a copy of it.

He also urged the Palestinian factions to make the 15th of May as a day for national reconciliation and unity, highlighting, at the same time, the importance of drawing a comprehensive national agenda to revive the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe).

On the other hand, Duwaik revealed that leaders from different factions in Israeli jails were working on a new initiative with the aim to end the inter-Palestinian political rift, and to restore Palestinian national unity.

More than a year ago, imprisoned leaders produced a document that paved the way before the Palestinian factions to ink the national reconciliation document that, later on, produced the PA national unity government under Premier Ismail Haniya although it was later on dissolved by PA chief Mahmoud Abbas.

He also explained that imprisoned leaders were exerting tremendous efforts to end the Palestinian internal rift although, he added, the difficult communication among leaders of the Movement plays an essential factor in delaying finalizing the initiative.

Egypt's role:

When asked to comment on the Egyptian stand on the Israeli siege on Gaza Strip, Duwaik pointed out that Egypt was exerting big efforts in convincing the Israeli occupation government to accept the Egypt-sponsored truce which the Palestinian resistance factions pledged to abide by if the IOA accepted it, underscoring that Egypt won't allow the starving of the Palestinian people.

But he urged Egypt to take a unilateral decision to open the Rafah crossing point if the Israeli occupation government rejected the clam proposal.

Three messages:

During the interview, Dr. Duwaik sent three messages, the first of which was to the Arab leaders where he urged them to double their efforts in retrieving occupied Palestine and the occupied Aqsa Mosque, being a national and a religious duty.

The second message of Duwaik was for the Arab and Muslim people where he invited them to increase the popular pressure on the Arab and Muslim leaders to spur them to carryout their mandate in supporting the besieged Palestinian people.

In his third message, which he addressed to the "steadfast" Palestinian people, Duwaik called on all the Palestinian people inside and outside of occupied Palestine to remain steadfast and to never compromise their legal and national rights regardless of the pressures and temptations.

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