Interview: Zuhair Sanduka, Palestine National Council, Amended Palestine
Charter Never Published

Aaron Lerner Date: 23 January 2002

IMRA interviewed Zuhair Sanduka, the Director of International Parliamentary
Affairs Department of the Palestine National Council, in Amman [by
telephone] in English on 23 January 2002 [it should be noted that at the
time, Shimon Peres claimed that the amendment of the Charter was the most
important event in Jewish history since the founding of the State]:

IMRA: Back in 1996 the PNC voted that the "Palestine National Charter is
hereby amended by canceling the articles that are contrary to the letters
exchanged between the PLO and the Government of Israel on 9/10 September,
1993." In a letter dated 22 January 1998 from Chairman Arafat to
President Clinton Arafat stated that "these changes will be reflected in any
official publication of the Charter." I have not been able to find a copy
of the amended Charter. The spokespeople in the PA do not have it and refer
me to the PNC. Has an amended version been published reflecting the
changes?

Sanduka: No other Charter has indeed been written since that. There was a
reference to the text that had been indeed amended.

IMRA: I'll tell you what makes it difficult. The letter to President
Clinton states that some Articles are nullified but also that "the parts
Articles 1-5, 11-14, 16-18, 25-27 and 29 that are inconsistent with the
above-mentioned commitments have also been nullified." I was hoping that
there would be a publication that would make it possible to know which parts
of those Articles had to be nullified since we are talking about parts of
Articles not entire Articles.

Sanduka: There are indeed publications that refer to the decision to make
the amendments. But there are no other texts - no other paragraphs or
articles in place of those articles that had to be cancelled or amended.
But there is the reference that there are articles that should be either
cancelled, modified or amended.

This is the point.

Indeed, no other version or new version has been issued after that.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director
IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-5480092
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
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Website: http://www.imra.org.il