Declaration by the Palestinian National Council in
Cairo
(March 22, 1977)
The
Palestinian National Council, by a vote of 194 to 13, approved the following
political declaration rejecting Resolution
242 and seeking to escalate the "armed struggle." The
PLO also declared its intention to "abort any settlement achieved
at the expense of the firm national rights of our people."
On the basis of the Palestinian National Covenant,
and resolutions passed at the previous session of the National Council;
with insistence on the political achievements of the PLO on the Arab
and the international level following the 12th session of the Council;
following a discussion of the recent developments in the Palestine issue,
and emphasizing the support of Arab and international circles in the
national Palestinian struggle, the Palestinian National Council stresses
the following points:
1. The Palestinian National Council emphasizes that
the Palestinian issue is the root and base of the Arab-Zionist conflict,
and that Security Council Resolution 242 takes no heed of the Palestinian
nation and its unchallengeable rights. The Council therefore emphasizes
its opposition to this Resolution and its refusal to negotiate on the
basis of it in the Arab and the international arena.
2. The Council emphasizes the position of the PLO,
which is unshakedly resolved to continue the armed struggle and its
concomitant forms of political and mass struggle, to realize those unchallengeable
national rights.
3. The Council emphasizes that the struggle on the
occupied soil, in all its forms military, political and mass, is the
central link in its plans to wage the fight. On that basis, the PLO
is striving to escalate the armed struggle on the occupied soil, and
all other concomitant forms of struggle, and to provide all forms of
moral assistance to the masses of our people on the occupied soil, so
as to intensify this struggle and strengthen their stand to defeat and
wipe out the occupation.
4. The Council emphasizes the position of the PLO which
opposes all forms of American settlements of capitulation and all plans
to blot out (the Palestinians). It emphasizes the determination of the
PLO to act to thwart any settlement that might be made at the expense
of our nation's unchallengeable national rights, and calls upon the
Arab nation to fulfil its national responsibility and mobilize all of
its resources to face up to these imperialist and Zionist plans.
5. The Council emphasizes the importance and the need
of military and political national unity among all the factions of the
Palestinian revolution within the PLO, as a basic condition of victory.
National unity must, therefore, be coordinated on the several levels
and with the several activities, on the basis of adherence to resolutions
and the formulation of blueprints for carrying them out.
6. The Council emphasizes its insistence on the right
of the Palestinian revolution to exist on the soil of sister Lebanon,
within the terms of the Cairo Agreement and its appendices, as ratified
by the PLO and the Lebanese authorities. The Council emphasizes its
adherence to the performance of this agreement to the letter, so as
to safeguard the status of the revolution. The Council opposes every
interpretation of the Agreement and its appendices by any one party,
while it is solicitous for the sovereignty and security of Lebanon.
7. The Council greets the Lebanese nation, its heroic
brother, and emphasizes the steadfast insistence of the PLO on the unity
of its soil, its security and independence. The Council is proud of
this heroic nation's support of the PLO, which is fighting for the restoration
of its national rights on its own soil, and its right to return to it.
The Council vehemently emphasizes the need to strengthen the linkage
between the Lebanese national forces and the Palestinian revolution.
8. The Council emphasizes the need to strengthen the
Arab front which is a partner in the Palestinian revolution, and the
linkage with all its partnered forces in all the Arab States. It emphasizes
the need to intensify the common Arab struggle and amplify the support
for the Palestinian revolution so that it may resist the imperialist
and Zionist plots.
9. The Council has resolved to reinforce Arab solidarity
and struggle on the basis of the fight against imperialism and Zionism.
It has resolved to act for the liberation of all the occupied Arab lands
and to cling to the aims of strengthening the Palestinian revolution,
and restoring the permanent national rights of the Palestinian nation,
without peace (with Israel) or recognition (of Israel).
10. The Council emphasizes the right of the PLO to
bear the responsibility (for the struggle) on the Arab and international
level, and through every Arab state, for the liberation of the occupied
soil.
11. The Council has resolved to continue the struggle
for restoration of the national rights of the Palestinian nation, and
foremost among them its right to return, to self-determination and to
the establishment of its national independent State on its independent
soil.
12. The Council emphasizes the importance of strengthening
cooperation and solidarity with all socialist, non-aligned, Muslim and
African States, and movements of national liberation throughout the
world.
13. The Council welcomes the positions and struggle
of all the democratic States and forces that have withstood Zionism
as a form of racism, and its aggressive conduct.
14. The Council emphasizes the importance of relations
and coordination with Jewish democratic and progressive forces inside
the occupied homeland, and outside, which are fighting against Zionism
as an ideology, and against its conduct. It calls on all States and
forces in the world which stand for freedom, justice and world peace,
to stop all forms of assistance and cooperation with the racist Zionist
regime, and to refuse to maintain contacts with it.
15. Considering the achievements attained on the Arab
and the international level since the close of its 12th session, the
Council has resolved as follows:
a. It emphasizes its insistence on the right of the
PLO to participate independently and on equal terms in all international
conferences and forums connected with the Palestine issue and the Arab-Zionist
conflict, 'with the object of realizing our unchallengeable national
rights as confirmed by the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution
3236 of 1974.
b. The Council declares that any settlement or agreement
which might injure the rights of our Palestinian nation in its absence
is totally invalid. Long live the Palestinian revolution! Long live
Palestinian unity! Glory to our slain! Revolution until victory!
Sources: Israeli
Foreign Ministry |