Palestinians mark obstructed Independence Day, 20 years since declaration

Date: 15 / 11 / 2008 Time: 12:07
Bethlehem – Ma’an –

On Saturday, Palestinians marked the 20th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence for the State of Palestine signed in Algiers in 1988, which has been obstructed ever since by the continuous brutal Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.

On 15 November 20 years ago, the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat addressed the Palestinian National Council (PNC) to officially declaire Palestinian independence.

The close of the declaration, written by the renowned Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, who died this year, read:

Therefore, we call upon our great people to rally to the banner of Palestine, to cherish and defend it, so that it may forever be the symbol of our freedom and dignity in that homeland, which is a homeland for the free, now and always....

More than 100 countries recognize the existence of a Palestinian state in exile, and host offices of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) acknowledged as Palestinian embassies.

On Saturday, schools and government institutions went on official holiday to commemorate Independence Day.

In Gaza, Fatah asserted that the Palestinian people “call upon all world countries, and all other organizations, including the International Quartet, to exert pressure on Israel to adhere to international treaties and UN resolutions.”

Fatah also said it expects “more support for the Palestinian struggle and resistance” against the occupation.

“We expect more from other countries,” Fatah said in a statement.
“We expect more from [them], to influence the course of international policies and support the Palestinian people in their demands to return to their homeland.”

The movement also called for independence and a sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.

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