The following is a translation from Arabic of the appeal by 70 Palestinian intellectuals and officials that appeared in the Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam earlier this week. The translation came from someone at the American Task Force on Palestine.
It looks like an interesting, generally well-crafted and constructive text. I’d love to see the original, however, if someone can send me a link to it, as the translation doesn’t look totally sound.
PUBLIC STATEMENT
We the undersigned, members of the of the Palestinian people from all political, intellectual and social sectors who are unified in their struggle and steadfastness, affirm our condemnation of the blatant aggression launched by Israel against our people, which was embodied two days ago with the criminal operation conducted by Sharon and his right-wing gang which resulted in the martyrdom of the leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and his struggling comrades.
We reaffirm our people’s rights, stipulated in all international covenants, and the use of all methods to defend ourselves. We are almost exploding from the pain and hurt of the disaster but despite this we call upon our people in the homeland, and in line with our national interest, to take the initiative from the hands of the criminal occupation gang and arise again in a wide ranging peaceful and popular intifadah with clear aims and sound speech wherein our people own the element of its initiative and the path it takes. This way we can make Sharon miss the opportunity of crowning his aggression against our people and sacred places by putting the final touches on his security plans.
We call upon a unified intifadah as a new step to revitalizing popular work organized with basis that have a clear program and a political revenue. We reaffirm our commitment to our just and legitimate demands of our rights and call for alignment based on national unity and unified leadership to resist the occupation.
Enough Criminal Assassination Operations
Enough Bloodshed.. Enough Occupation
The signatories:
1- Ibrahim al-Hafi
2- Ibrahim Msallam
3- Ahmad Jbara (Abul Sukkar)
4- Ahmad Hallas (Abu Maher)
5- Ahmad Fares
6- As’ad Odeh
7- Amin Maqboul
8- Buthayna al-Duqmaq
9- Jad Is’haq
10- Jamal Dar’awi
11- Jamal Zaqqout
12- Jamil Rushdi
13- Jihad Abu Zneid
14- George Hazboun
15- Hasan Dweik
16- Hanan Ashrawi
17- Hakam Taleb Thyab
18- Haidar Awadallah
19- Khader Ayesh
20- Khalil al-Atiri
21- Dimitri Diliani
22- Rihab al-Eisawi
23- Radwan al-Sameri
24- Riyad al-Malki
25- Zuheira Kamal
26- Ziad Hammouri
27- Sari Nuseibeh
28- Saeed Zeidani
29- Salman Jadallah
30- Sameer Shehadeh
31- Siham Thabet
32- Suheil Saleem Abdul Fattah Salman
33- Shaher Sa’ed
34- Shafiq Zaydieyeh
35- Shukri Radaydeh
36- Salah Hikmat al-Masri
37- Abbas Zaki
38- Abdullah Hijazi
39- Abdullah al-Kiswani
40- Abdul Ilah al-Atiri
41- Abdul Fattah Hamayel
42- Abdul Qader Faisal al-Husseini
43- Arafat al-Hidmi
44- Azzam al-Ahmad
45- Izzat al-Rasini
46- Ikrima Thabet
47- Imad Abu Kishek
48- Imad Awad
49- Ali Hasasneh
50- Anan al-Atiri
51- Ghazi Hanania
52- Ghassan al-Harami
53- Ghassan Hanania
54- Fathi Saleem Yasin Abu Zeid
55- Fadel Tahboub
56- Fahed Abul Haj
57- Cairo Arafat
58- Lucy Nuseibeh
59- Lilly Feidi
60- Mohammed al-Rimawi
61- Mohammed al-Sha’bi
62- Mahmoud al-Aloul
63- Mahmoud al-Labadi
64- Naser Younes
65- Nayef Sweitat
66- Nour Eddin Ibrahim Shehadeh
67- Hashem Abu Lafi
68- Yasser Abed Rabbo
69- Yousef Harb
70- Yousef Aref.
Here is an Arabic link where you can read the original text
http://www.aawsat.com/default.asp?issue=9250&page=news&article=225273
Amazing how a well-aimed Hellfire can concentrate the mind. Who says that fighting terrorism never works? Maybe after another Hellfire aimed precisely at Rantisi, we can get another 60 Palestinians to sign.
Alternatively, given the veneration of Yassin in this statement, I should file the petition between the ‘Carnivores for Vegetarianism’ petition and the file on porcine aviation.
Great article in today’s JPost: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1080188580594
Back to the porcine aviation…
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1080626719822
This artice is very interesting!!!
But I didn’t understand something. So, I have no my own idea about it…