Situation in the Mideast – Note verbale from Syria

QUESTION OF PALESTINE

THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Note verbale dated 26 October 1977 from the Permanent

Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the

United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

The Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations presents his compliments to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and, in his capacity as Chairman of the Arab Group for the month of October, has the honour to request that the two enclosed notes addressed to His Excellency by a number of Arab patriots and citizens in the occupied Arab territories, dated 21 September 1977, concerning the situation in the occupied Arab territories be circulated urgently as an official document of the General Assembly under agenda item 30 and 31.

ANNEX I

Note dated 17 September 1977 addressed to the Secretary-General

One of the most important items on the agenda of the present session of the United Nations General Assembly is the question of Palestine.  While the Assembly is preparing to welcome the delegations of its Member States, Israel is trying to forestall events, in disregard of international covenants, United Nations resolutions and the basic tenants of human rights, by continuing to establish new settlements, to apply Israeli laws in the occupied territory and to torture and humiliate the Arab populations, in order to annex the occupied territories in accordance with expansionist Zionist designs.

We the undersigned, representatives of the various sectors of the people of the occupied territories and their national institutions, proclaim the following:

1. Our attachment to the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative of the Arab people of Palestine wherever they may be.  We emphasize that we, the inhabitants of the occupied territories, are a part of the Arab people of Palestine, who constitute a single national entity.

2. We confirm and reiterate the resolutions of the Rabat Arab Summit Conference, and at the same time, denounce and reject the various attempts and strategies aimed at repudiating these resolutions.

3. We reject any trusteeship or mandate over the Arab people of Palestine, and affirm their right to a homeland, to self-determination and to the establishment of their own independent national State.

4. We demand complete Israeli withdrawal from all the occupied territories, the implementation of the United Nations resolutions and the guarantee of the legitimate rights of the Arab people of Palestine.

5. We support the decisions of the Palestine Liberation Organization, including the one rejecting Security Council resolution 242, because it ignores the humane cause of the Arab people of Palestine.

In addressing world public opinion through the United Nations, we take note of the significant change that has occurred in it as a consequence of its awareness of thee expansionist aggressive aims which Israel seeks to achieve at the expense of the Arab people of Palestine.  We therefore hope that the General Assembly will adopt, during its present session, firm resolutions respecting the will of the Arab people of Palestine and supporting their struggle, under the leadership of Palestine Liberation Organization, for the restoration of their legitimate rights.

1. Signature illegible, The Association of Philanthropic Societies in the district of Jerusalem, date:  17/9/1977

2. Signature illegible, Youth Activities Centre

3. Rouhi Al-Khatib, Mayor of Jerusalem

4. Signature illegible, The Jordanian Red Crescent Society, Jerusalem

5. Hanna Khouri Al-Atrash, Mayor of Beit Sahour

6. Khadijah Salim Farhan, Director and Fatimah Jibril, President, Kalandia Camp Co-operative Society for Sewing and Handicrafts, established 1958

7. Kareem Khalaf, Mayor of Ramallah

8. Signature illegible, Director of the Arab Chamber of Commerce in Jerusalem, West Bank Chambers of Commerce

9. Signature illegible, President, Family Welfare Society, Al-Bireh, established in 1965

10. Signature illegible, Mayor of Nablus

11. Illegible

12. Muhammad Hasan Milhim, Mayor of Halhoul

13. Signature illegible, Chamber of Commerce, Nablus

l4. Signature illegible

15. Al-Hajja (illegible), President, Society of the Arab Women Federation established in 1365 H., 1945 A.D.

16. Signature illegible, Representative of the engineers in Nablus district,

17. Signature illegible, the Ramallah First Boy Scout Company

18. Ibrahim Suleiman, Al-Bireh Municipal Council

19. Hasan Al-Tawil, Union of Construction and Public Institutions Workers, established in 1965

20. Fahd Al-Kawasmi, engineer, Mayor of Hebron

21. Signature illegible, on behalf of the pharmacists of Nablus

22. Signature illegible, Jericho Municipality

23. Signature illegible, on behalf of the dentists of Nablus

24. Signature illegible, Community Advancement Centre, Kalandia Camp

25. Khadijah Salim Farhan and two other illegible signatures:  Association of University Graduates, Hebron

26. Sa'ad-eddin Al-Fakih

27. Signature illegible, Mayor of Bethlehem

28. Muhammad Darweesh, President, Eslame Ramallah Club, established in 1976

29. Signature illegible, The Jordanian Red Crescent Society, the Hebron branch

30. Signature illegible, The Red Crescent Society, Nablus

31. Signature illegible, Secretary of the Federation of the Arab Women's Association, Al-Bireh, established in 1956

32. Signature illegible, Mayor of Beit Jala

33. Signature illegible, Mayor of Doura

34. Signature illegible, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem

35. Signature illegible, Youth Activities Centre, Toulkarm Camp

36. Yousuf Kadri, Nablus Municipality

37. Signature illegible, Toulkarm Municipality

38. Signature illegible, Mayor of Qualquilya

39. Signature illegible, Jenin Municipality

40. Signature illegible, Youth Activities Centre, Name of camp illegible

41. Signature illegible, Youth Activities Centre, Name of camp illegible

42. Signature illegible, Camp Services Officer, Kalandia

43. Signature illegible, Youth Activities Centre, Balata Camp

44. Signature illegible, Youth Activities Centre, Al-Dheisha Camp

45. Ibrahim Abu Sitta, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Refugee Conference, Gaza Strip

46. Dr. Hassan Abdul-bagi, President of the Legislative Council, Gaza Strip

ANNEX II

Note dated 21 September 1977 addressed to the Secretary-General

At this stage of stepped-up activity with a view to finding a peaceful solution to the Middle East problem and feverish Israeli activity directed toward establishing settlements in the occupied territories and a flood of statements by Israeli officials at the highest level of responsibility aimed at sowing serious doubts regarding the feasibility of pursuing peaceful solutions, we deem it our duty to proclaim and reaffirm the following:

1. The Gaza Strip is a part of the usurped territory of Palestine and its inhabitants, who are an integral part of the dispersed Palestinian people, are united in their rejection of the Israeli occupation and in striving to put an end to it.

2. The recovery by the Palestinian people of their usurped rights to self-determination and to the establishment of their own independent State in their homeland of Palestine is the core of the Middle East problem and the essence of the conflict in the region.

3. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian People entitled to speak on their behalf and bear the responsibility of defending their rights.  It is imperative that it participate in all forums and conferences concerning the Palestinian issue.

4. The claim by the Israeli Government that the occupied areas are "liberated" lands and that settlements by Israelis in them is therefore permissible, in blatant defiance of United Nations resolutions and despite the opposition and protests of their Arab population, is nothing but an obstacle to the quest for a peaceful solution to the conflict that entails the danger of the outbreak of war in the region and throughout the world.

5. Because of its" continued support of Israel by providing it with financial assistance and advanced offensive weaponry despite Israel's aggression and defiance of world public opinion, we place upon the United States of America the responsibility for Israel's intransigent attitude.

6. Today more than ever before it is incumbent upon the United Nations, in the person of its Secretary-General, in discharge of its responsibilities set forth in the Charter, to urge strongly and effectively that the United States of America in particular and all forces capable of influencing the conflict, in general should face their responsibilities before it becomes too late to prevent the situation from deteriorating into anarchy and destruction.

7. We hereby state that we  shall do our utmost to secure what we consider our natural right,  and we appeal to all peace-loving States and to help us to attain this  objective.

1. Rashad Said Al-Shawa, Mayor of Gaza

2. Dr. Hassan Abdul-Rahman, President of the Legislative Council

3. Ibrahim Abu Sitta, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Refugee Conference

3. Sleiman Zareh Al-Astal, Mayor of (illegible)

4. Mousa Abdul-Khaleq Abu Sha'aban, The Elder of Gaza

5. Fayez Abu Rahman, President of the Bar Association

6. Daoud El-Sayegh, Member of the Greek Orthodox Ecclesiastical Court'

7. Ghaleb Ahmad Al-Zein, landowner and merchant, on behalf of Al-Zein

8. Wadi Tarazi, Principal of Gaza College

9. Sami Abu Sh'aban, Chairman of the Palestinian Staff Committee in the sector

10. Yousuf Abdullah Abu Zeid, Merchant

11. Muhammad Sha'aban, Member of the Legislative Council

12. Ali Al-Masri, The Elder of Khan Younis

13. Ra'afat Moussa Al-Bourno, landowner

14. Al-Hajj Ragheb Murtaji, President of the Palestinian Chamber of Commerce for Gaza Strip

15. Muhammad Ali Bashir, former member of the Legislative Council, on of Deir Al-Balah constituency

16. Dr. George (illegible), President of the YMCA in Gaza

17. Fowzi Abu Ramadan, member of the Legislative Council

18. Yusra Al-Barbary, President of the Palestine Women's Association

19. (Illegible), Lawyer, Religious courts