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Address of HE President Arafat
Held in Havana, Cuba 12-14 April 2000
H. E. President Olesegun Obasango,
It is a great honor
for me to address this important gathering of the leaders of the countries of the South
and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), on behalf of the militant Palestinian
People who are very proud to belong to the peoples of the South struggling for national
liberation, independence and progress.
The Palestinian
People are continuing their heroic struggle for national liberation, independence and
sovereignty. Our people will continue their indefatigable work along with the peoples and
national liberation movements of the South to eradicate enslavement, colonialism and
racial discrimination. Our people will continue this work in order to build a world
governed by the values of right, goodness and justice, - a world in which our peoples will
be able to enjoy security, stability and prosperity.
Allow me to salute
the militant President and our friend Fidel Castro for generously hosting this historic
meeting and for the pioneering role he is playing in supporting the peoples.
Allow me also to
greet the friendly state, the People’s Republic of China which is participating with
us in the South Summit.
Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Convening the South
summit in Havana, the capital of the friendly republic of Cuba, at the threshold of the
third millennium, reflects the deep responsibility that the leaders of the South and the
PRC bear vis-à-vis the contemporary world order. This order witnessed over recent years
tremendous changes in the field of international relations, which were accompanied by
scientific and technological progress, a revolution in information and communications, and
economic globalizm. This historic Summit of the Countries of the South and the PRC is
called upon to put down joint plans and strategies to face up and absorb the accelerating
international changes, to consolidate the plans of joint cooperation among the countries
of the South and to start the North-South dialogue in the light of these joint plans and
strategies of the countries of the South in order to achieve development, equality and
international stability.
Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Palestinian people, their entity and Holy Land, were the first victim of all wars and aggression. Our Palestinian people were expelled from their homeland in 1948. The State of Israel was established on part of the historical land of Palestine following the United Nations Resolution 181 that called for the partition of Palestine into two states in 1947. The State of Israel, as you know, was established but the State of Palestine was not, due to the colonial conspiracies and intrigues as well as due to the Israel’s denial to resolution 181 and its continued aggression against the Palestinian and Arab lands, and due to its throwing our people outside their homeland into the Diaspora, refugee-camps and exiles.
Fifty years have passed and yet the Palestinian people are still deprived of exercising their right of self-determination and of establishing their independent state on their national soil. Our people have however, owing to your support, help and solidarity, continued their legitimate and just struggle to regain their land and their national rights to self-determination, the return of the dissipated refigures and the establishment of their independent state of Palestine, with Holy Jerusalem as its capital.
Following the Madrid Peace Conference and the negotiations in
Washington, we concluded with the Government of Israel the Oslo Agreement to realize a
just, lasting and comprehensive peace. The Oslo Peace Agreement, however, faced fatal
strikes following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, my partner in peace, the peace of
the brave, at the hands of an extremist Israeli settler. The peace process was hindered
for a long period. The Oslo agreement was frozen. All other agreements that followed were
obstructed and frozen, namely those done under the auspices of President Clinton and
President Mubarak, with the support of the European countries, Federal Russia, China,
Japan, the Non- aligned Countries, and the fraternal Arab and other friendly states. Four
difficult years have passed without making any significant progress in the peace process.
Despite this dangerous situation, we have maintained the choice of peace, and that also
despite what our people and land face, in terms of settlement aggressions, the
confiscation of land, the judauzation of Jerusalem and encirclement of the Town of
Bethlehem- the birth place of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him- with settlement blocks in
order to put obstacles in front of us as we are building the foundations of our
independent state.
Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We declare, in front of you, our total adhesion to the resolutions of the international legitimacy, to the principle of land for peace in accordance with the Madrid Peace Conference and to the official agreements signed between us and the Government of Israel in Oslo, Washington, Cairo, Wye River and Sharm-al-Sheikh. On the basis of this firm commitment to international legitimacy and the agreements and the dates set there in, we declare, in front of you, that this year is the year of the establishment of the independent state of Palestine and according to the agreements, that date is 13 September 2000.
The Palestinian people look up to the Summit of the South to stand at their side while they are establishing their independent state of Palestine as they have stood at the side of our people over the years of struggle and peoples intifada-uprising in Palestine.
Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We hope that the international, US, European, and Arab efforts will be crowned with success, for ensuring the implementation by the Israeli side of these agreements within the fixed dates established for them, especially following the historic Berlin Declaration on behalf of the European Union, the historic visits of President Clinton to our homeland, Palestine, and the visit of His Holiness the Pope, the celebration of the bicentennial anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, in Bethlehem, and the visit of those esteemed guests to us.
Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
May I wish the summit of the South and the PRC success in realizing their aims and in formulating their programs and policies that will strengthen the fruitful cooperation among their states. I wish them success, as well, in putting firm foundations for joint international cooperation in a way that ensures equality, development and international stability.
Peace and the mercy of God be upon you and the blessings of God be with you.
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