Statement by PLO Executive Committee – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 19 March 2015 from the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council

I have the honour to transmit herewith a copy of an official statement adopted today, 19 March 2015, by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (see annex). This statement addresses many long-standing and current issues relevant to the ongoing search for a just, lasting, comprehensive and peaceful solution to the question of Palestine, an item that has been on the agenda of the United Nations since its inception and for which the United Nations bears a permanent responsibility until it is satisfactorily resolved in all its aspects, in accordance with international law and the relevant resolutions.

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter and its annex distributed as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 35 and 36, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Riyad Mansour

Ambassador, Permanent Observer of the
 State of Palestine to the United Nations

Annex to the identical letters dated 19 March 2015 from the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council

[Original: Arabic]

Statement by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization

On 19 March 2015, the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, chaired by Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, met in Ramallah to discuss current political developments. Following are the outcomes of that meeting:

First, the Executive Committee condemns the reckless, racist campaign waged by Netanyahu during the Israeli electoral campaign, particularly his attempt to stoke fears regarding the participation in the elections by large numbers of Palestinian Arabs in Israel. Netanyahu openly declared that his true agenda was to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian State and unleash settlement expansion. He is thus attempting to assemble the forces of extremism and racism, and spark hostilities against the Palestinian people and its leadership, with a view to advancing his main goal of perpetuating the occupation and controlling the destiny and future of the Palestinian people.

Following the successful pursuit of its openly declared agenda, which, in fact, it has been pursuing over the past years, the Israeli right is now overtly committed to furthering and hastening the implementation of that agenda. This calls for all regional and international actors to take a more decisive stand against that agenda, which undermines all opportunities to achieve peace and will serve to prolong occupation and racism, and deprive our people of their right to self-determination in their homeland.

We must therefore counteract this policy at the political, economic and other levels. We must also strive to broaden recognition of and support for a State of Palestine based on the line of 4 June 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital, in the Security Council and other international institutions. No one should be deceived by any of the shifting, dishonest positions adopted by the occupation Government in order to buy time and build more settlements, especially in occupied Jerusalem.

We stand at an historic crossroads. The forces of extremism and racism in Israel are attempting to exploit the regional and international situations in the ugliest possible manner, in order to turn back the hands of time and destroy everything that the international community has agreed upon regarding a just, balanced solution for the region. This will require us to rally our people's steadfastness and strength, unite national actors at home and abroad, and approach the next phase from an entirely different perspective. We must not allow our forces and efforts to be divided and fragmented, and we cannot rely on any possibility of resuming negotiations that Israel has undermined and made hollow.

The Executive Committee expresses its great appreciation to and its admiration for the Palestinian people inside Israel and all political actors for what they have achieved through their unity and solidarity and their staunch support of a national programme that preserves their steadfastness and ensures their continued presence on the land of their ancestors. This programme serves to strengthen their defiance of racism in all its manifestations and supports their right to establish an independent State on the basis of the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.

Second, based on the decision of the Palestinian Central Council, the Executive Committee has decided to instruct the Political Committee and the heads of the security and other relevant agencies to formulate a detailed plan on how to implement the decision to halt security cooperation with occupation agencies, and to address all questions related to the economy.

The Executive Committee also decided to take the measures required to complete the process of joining the International Criminal Court. It also decided to take subsequently the steps that are required to bring before the Court cases concerning settlements and recurring Israeli aggression against our people and our nation, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

Third, the Executive Committee decided to send a unified Palestinian delegation composed of representatives of the different national political factions to the Gaza Strip to initiate a comprehensive dialogue, with the participation of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The aim is to implement the commitments made in previous accords, as well as the Central Council's decisions regarding national reconciliation, in particular, enabling the Government of National Consensus to perform its functions, specifically with regard to reconstruction and the holding of presidential and legislative elections, in accordance with the relevant decree.

Fourth, the Executive Committee condemns the terrorist and criminal acts that were committed in Tunisia. It stands with the Tunisian people and its leadership against any attacks against the security of Tunisia and its democratic system. The Executive Committee also stands with all Arab peoples against the waves of terrorism and crime targeting their national unity and territorial integrity.