MEMRI Special Dispatch No.5891
November 24, 2014
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud 'Abbas At Fatah Conference: We Are
All Ready To Sacrifice Ourselves For Al-Aqsa, Jerusalem
http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/8307.htm

On November 23-24, 2014, the Fatah Advisory Council, chaired by Palestinian
Authority (PA) President Mahmoud 'Abbas, convened in Ramallah for a "Session
[dedicated to] the Martyrs of the Homeland, Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa." In his
speech at this conference, 'Abbas spoke of every Palestinians' willingness
to sacrifice for the Al-Aqsa Mosque, adding that defending Al-Aqsa is a
moral, national and religious right. He accused Israel of backing all those
responsible for aggression against Al-Aqsa, and congratulated his people for
defending Jerusalem.

Fatah officials participating in the conference called to step up the
popular resistance, and congratulated the Palestinian public for coming out
bravely against those who seek to harm Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa.

In an announcement published at the close of the conference, the Advisory
Council praised the heroic awakening of Jerusalem's Palestinian residents,
warned against the attempts to defile Al-Aqsa, recommended to allocate
special funds to martyrs' families, and voiced its determination to continue
the struggle.

The following are excerpts from some of the speeches at the conference and
from its closing announcement, as reported in the official PA daily Al-Hayat
Al-Jadida and on the Palestinian website Amad.ps.[1]


Image: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (PA), November 24, 2014

'Abbas: Defending Al-Aqsa Is A Moral, National And Religious Right

In his speech at the close of the conference, 'Abbas said: "It is a moral,
national and religious right to defend Al-Aqsa and the places holy to Islam
and Christianity. Our people oppose the thieving attackers who are supported
by the government of Israel – the same [government] that has sabotaged the
efforts to attain peace and is leading the wild campaign in Jerusalem and
the Al-Aqsa Mosque, seeking to strike any chance of obtaining security and
peace between the two peoples on the basis of the two-state [solution]. I
congratulate our people for their steadfastness in defending Jerusalem and
Al-Aqsa. We are all ready to sacrifice ourselves for Al-Aqsa and for
Jerusalem.

"Throughout the nine months of negotiations under the sponsorship of U.S.
State Secretary John Kerry, Netanyahu and his extremist government torpedoed
every effort and every American or European initiative to revive the peace
process. Under the protection of the occupation forces, this government
began attacking and expropriating lands and homes in East Jerusalem while
defying the international legitimacy [i.e., U.N. resolutions] and the
condemnations voiced by international bodies. Our position, which is clear
and is appreciated and supported by the international community, is anchored
in a commitment to the two-state solution and to negotiations based on
Israel's obligation to withdraw to the 1967 borders, evacuate the settlers
from our lands, and carry out the fourth installment of prisoner release
[which includes prisoners] arrested prior to 1992."

Fatah Officials: Step Up The Popular Resistance

Members of Fatah's Central Committee, Revolutionary Council and Advisory
Council stressed the need "to reinforce national cohesion in Jerusalem in
order to defend Al-Aqsa and the Muslim and Christian holy places; step up
the popular resistance in all areas threatened by settlement, and defend
village mosques and [villagers'] fields against arson and against the theft
of the olive harvest by settlers." Fatah members also congratulated the
wounded and the "heroic prisoners," pledging to continue the struggle until
their release.

Fatah Advisory Council: We Congratulate Jerusalem Residents For Their Brave
Awakening; We Are Determined To Continue The Fight

In the announcement issued at the close of the conference, the Advisory
Council praised the residents of Jerusalem for awakening and "standing fast
in the fateful battle that will decide the destiny of Palestine." It also
called to dedicate funds to assisting the martyrs' families, and declared
that the Palestinian people is determined to continue the struggle and the
fighting.

The first part of the announcement, titled "Jerusalem Is a Red Line," says:
"[In the conference,] the Advisory Council congratulated the [Palestinian]
public for its courage and bravery in challenging, bare-chested, the
settlement[-strategy] attack on holy Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Our
youth, our men and our women in Jerusalem prove that they are the defenders
of the gates of Al-Aqsa [and will continue to be so] until Judgment Day. Our
people stands with Jerusalem and with the defenders of the holy places. The
Advisory Council stressed that peace, security and stability begin in
Jerusalem, and warned against the danger of harming the holy places and
transforming the conflict into a religious one."

The announcement called on the PLO and the PA, as well as on Jordan, the
custodian of the holy places in Jerusalem, and Morocco, which heads the
Jerusalem Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, "to work
night and day to support the steadfastness of our residents in Jerusalem,
and [to act] on the international level to compel Israel to stop its
aggression, which is aimed at desecrating Al-Aqsa and the holy places in
order to deny the right of our people to establish an independent state
with holy Jerusalem as its capital..."

The announcement said further: "The message of aid and support must reach
every home in Jerusalem, and all our steadfast residents there must feel
that they are not alone in this fateful struggle that will decide the
destiny of Palestine. The Advisory Council calls to dedicate a special
budget to the families of martyrs who made sacrifices for the sake of
freedom and who are arrested and have their homes demolished by the Israeli
occupation. They deserve more than any of us to receive aid and support
without stint and without hesitation. They are standing fast for the sake of
our future in this historic homeland of Palestine, for we have no other
homeland..."

The Palestinian People Is Determined To Continue Its Struggle And Fighting

The announcement stressed that "the activity towards approaching the
Security Council with a national draft resolution to end the occupation,
establish an independent [Palestinian] state and [recognize] the refugees'
right of return will be a historic achievement for our people, considering
the isolation of Israel in the international arena. This Security Council
bid is accompanied by international activity in Europe [to promote]
recognition of the independent Palestinian state..."

The announcement clarified that today, when the Palestinians are marking the
tenth anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat and the 50th anniversary of
the establishment of Fatah, the Advisory Council sees fit to "stress the
Palestinian people's determination to fight and struggle to end the
occupation."





Endnotes:



[1] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (PA); Amad.ps, November 24, 2014.

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