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Palestine National Council, 9th Session: Final Statement

Palestine National Council

Ninth Session

Final Statement

Cairo, 13 July 1971

It was in extremely difficult circumstances, with the conspiracy against the Palestine revolution increasing in scope, that the Palestine National Council met in its Ninth Session in Cairo from July 7-13, 1971. The members of the Council continued discussion of the exigencies of the Palestine revolution at the current stage, with the Jordanian authorities engaged in aggression against the bases of the Palestine revolution and attacking its heroic men in Ajlun, Jerash and Gaza Camp.

In addition to the task it had assumed, the Council took all appropriate measures to cope with the situation; these were published at the time.

The Ninth Session of the Palestine National Council was marked by numerous special features which constituted steps towards national unity, the most prominent of these being:

1. The composition of the new Council was an expression of the fact that it represented a more comprehensive sector than had previous Councils. All the commando organizations without exception participated in it, and the trade union organizations were more extensively represented.

2. The Council reaffirmed the formula for national unity it had already established at its Eighth Session and in the light of it took new practical decisions on the unity of the forces of the revolution in all fields of command, organization, training, arming and combat affairs.

It also decided to establish a unified council for information and a unified system for the collection and expenditure of revenues.

3. On the basis of these moves and of the unanimous assent to them in the Executive Committee, which was elected as the supreme command of the Palestine revolution, the commando organizations were more extensively represented to ensure collective, rather than individual, action and also to ensure that all forces should participate in confronting the grave situation which threatens the Palestine revolution and the Palestinian people.

The Council first considered the grave situation faced by the revolution in Jordan, and in view of the determination of the Jordanian authorities to strike at the revolu­tion and render it ineffective, the Council condemned the policy of repression and terrorism pursued by the Jordanian authorities and the particularist fanaticism it gives rise to, for the gravely negative effects this policy has had on Jordanian-Palestinian national unity in the Jordanian theater. The practical result has been that the unity of the masses has been weakened and that the right of the revolution to represent the Palestinian people and to realize their aspirations to the liberation of their usurped territory has been denied.

The Council condemned the Jordanian authorities for constantly placing obstacles in the way of the revolutionaries in their attempts to enter the occupied territory. These obstacles have included the blockading of the revolution’s bases, the molesting of their supply convoys and armed attacks on men returning from military operations in the occupied territory.

The Council also condemned the constant disregard of the right of the Palestine revolution to perform its fundamental duty, which was precisely determined by certain clauses of the Cairo and Amman Agreements. The Council demands that these agreements be adhered to. It also calls on the Arabs states that signed them to adopt the attitudes to which they committed themselves to ensure the implementation of the Cairo and Amman Agreements, and to withdraw financial aid from the Jordanian authorities who have continued to disregard and failed to honor these agreements, so that this aid may be employed for the objective for which it was allotted – the liberation of Palestine and the repulse of the imperialist attack from Arab territory.

The Council decided to support the efforts being made by the Jordanian nationalist forces to build a coherent national front to take action to support the advance of the Palestine revolution and to protect it from all who conspire against it.

One of the aims of the Palestine revolution in fulfilling its obligations to defend the national rights of its people in Jordan, is to strengthen the unity of the two Banks. It therefore affirms, through its National Council, that this unity cannot be strengthened by the policy being pursued by the Jordanian authorities, which fosters regional and separatist tendencies. It can only be strengthened on a national democratic basis which will consolidate cohesion among the people and unify their efforts for liberation.

Then there was the Council's stand as regards the danger of political settlements. In this connection it discussed the increasing efforts that are being made at present to ensure the implementation of a settlement, and in particular American imperialism's efforts to impose itself on the Middle East area by creating a deceptive situation which will in fact lead to the liquidation of the Palestine problem.

The Council affirmed its attitude of constant insistence on the full rights of the Palestinian people to liberate their territory through armed struggle and to reaffirm their decisive rejection of all surrender solutions and proposals which conflict with the natural and historical rights of the Palestinian people, including their rejection of Security Council Resolution 242 of November 22, 1967.

The Palestine National Council expressed the will and determination of the Palestinian people to continue their armed struggle until they achieve all their national objectives, in spite of the ferocious attack by the conspiracy to which the Palestine revolution is being subjected.

As it pursues its struggle at the cost of so many sacrifices, the Palestine revolution constantly looks to the Arab masses and their national forces and to national liberation movements throughout the world, in the expectation that they will do their duty in what is one of the most ferocious battles that is being fought by a peaceable people against Zionism and the forces of imperialism and its agents in the Arab world.

 

Source: International Documents on Palestine, 1971. Beirut: Institute for Palestine Studies, 1974, p. 503-504.