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Palestine National Council, 16th Session: Final Statement

Palestine National Council

Sixteenth Session

Final Statement

(Excerpts)

Algiers, 14-22 February 1983

The Palestine National Council adopted the following resolutions on the basis of the Palestine National Charter, the political pro gram, and the resolutions of previous PNC sessions: 

On the Palestinian Level

A. Palestinian National Unity:

The PNC stresses the strengthening of national unity between the Palestinian revolution's detachments within the PLO framework. It also calls for raising standards of organizational relations in all PLO bodies and institutions on the basis of front action and collective leadership on the basis of the organizational and political program endorsed by the PNC's 14th session.

B. Independent National Decision-Making:

The PNC stresses adherence to independent Palestinian national decision- making, protecting it and resisting the pressures aimed against this independence, from whatever quarter they may come.

C. Palestinian Armed Struggle:

The PNC affirms the need to develop and escalate armed struggle against the Zionist enemy. It also stresses the right of the Palestinian revolution's forces to conduct military action against the Zionist enemy from all the Arab fronts. The PNC stressed the need to unify all the Palestinian revolution's forces within the frame work of a unified national liberation army.

D. The Occupied Homeland:

1. The PNC hails our steadfast masses in the occupied territories in confronting occupation, settlement schemes, and uprooting. It also hails their national consensus and complete rallying around the PLO, the Palestinian people's sole legitimate representative inside and outside the occupied homeland.

2. The PNC denounces all suspicious Israeli-American attempts aimed at harming the Palestinian national consensus, and calls upon the Palestinian people to resist and confront these attempts.

3. The PNC stresses the need to consolidate the unity of national, social, trade union, and popular institutions. It also stresses the need to establish and develop the patriotic front inside the occupied homeland.

4. The PNC asserts the need to multiply efforts to strengthen our people's steadfastness inside the occupied homeland, and to provide all requirements for this steadfastness, in order to put an end to forced emigration and land confiscation, and to develop the national economy.

5. The PNC hails the steadfastness of our people inside the areas occupied since 1948, and expresses pride in their struggle against racist Zionism in order to assert their national identity as part of the Palestinian people.

6. The PNC hails the Palestinian detainees in enemy prisons inside the occupied homeland and in south Lebanon with pride and appreciation.

E. Our People Outside Palestine

The PNC stresses the need to mobilize our people's potentials in all places they may -be outside our occupied homeland, and strengthen their adherence to the PLO as their sole legitimate representative. The PNC recommends the Executive Committee to act in order to protect their social and economic interests and to defend their acquired rights and basic freedoms.

F. Relations with Jewish Forces

In conformity with Resolution 14 of the political declaration of the PNC's 13th session on 12 March 1977, the Council calls upon the Executive Committee to study how to move in this context in a way that is consistent with the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian national struggle.

On The Arab Level

A. The PNC calls for strengthening the alliance between the Palestinian revolution and national liberation movements in the Arab world, in order actively to confront all Zionist-imperialist conspiracies and liquidation plans, especially the Camp David Accords, and to end the Israeli occupation of Arab territories.

B. The PNC defines relations between the PLO and the Arab states on the following basis:

1. Commitments to the causes of the Arab struggle, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause and struggle.

2. Commitment to the Palestinian people's rights, including their rights to repatriation, self-determination, and the establishment of their independent state  under PLO leadership. These rights have been affirmed by Arab summit resolutions.

3. Care for the uniqueness of Palestinian representation, Palestinian national unity, and independent Palestinian national decision-making.

4. Rejecting all schemes which harm the PLO's right as the Palestinian people's sole legitimate representative, in the form of delegation of, or partnership in, the right of representation.

5. The PNC calls for the achievement of Arab solidarity on the basis of Arab summit resolutions and the above principles.

C. Fez Summit Resolutions – The Arab Peace Plan:

The PNC regards the Fez summit resolutions as the minimum for Arab political action. This should be complemented by military action in order to alter the balance of power in favor of Palestinian rights and struggle. The Council stresses that its understanding of these resolutions does not contradict its commitment to the PLO political program and resolutions.

D. Relations with Jordan:

1. The PNC affirms the special and distinctive relations which link the Palestinian and Jordanian peoples. It stresses the need to develop these relations in conformity with the national interests of both peoples and the Arab nation and in order to achieve the Palestinian people's inalienable rights, including repatriation, self-determination, and the establishment of their independent Palestinian state.

2. Adherence to the PNC's resolutions relating to relations with Jordan, and on the basis that the PLO is the Palestinian people's sole legitimate representative inside and outside the occupied territories. The PNC considers that future relations with Jordan may be established on  the basis of a confederation between two independent states.

E. Regarding Relations with Lebanon:

The PNC calls for:

1. Strengthening the relations with the Lebanese people and their patriotic forces, and offering full support for these forces in their courageous struggle to resist the Zionist occupation and its instruments.

2. Placing the Palestinian revolution's cooperation with Lebanese masses and their patriotic and democratic forces in fighting the Zionist occupation at the head of the revolution's current tasks.

3. The Executive Committee to conduct talks with the Lebanese government in order to safeguard the security of the Palestinians living in Lebanon and secure their rights to residence, freedom of movement and political and social activities.

4. Action to end the arbitrary mass and individual arrests which are carried out on a political basis, and to release the Palestinian prisoners detained in the Lebanese authorities' prisons.

F. Regarding Relations With Syria:

Relations with fraternal Syria are based on the PNC's resolutions of different sessions. These affirm the strategic relations between the PLO and Syria to serve national aims related to the struggle, and to confront the Zionist-imperialist enemy. The PLO and Syria are on the frontal line in facing the common danger.

G. Steadfastness and Confrontation Front:

The PNC entrusts the PLO Executive Committee with conducting talks with the parties of the national front for steadfast- ness and confrontation on the means to revive it on a new effective and clear basis. The PNC noticed that the front did not  live up to the standard of the required duties during the Zionist invasion of Lebanon.

H. Relations with Egypt:

The PNC affirms rejection of the Camp David Accords and their subsequent schemes of autonomy and civil administration. The PNC, on the basis of the firm belief in the role of Egypt and its people in the Arab struggle, affirms the stand on the side of the struggle of the Egyptian people and their patriotic forces to end the Camp David policy and have Egypt return to its militant position in our Arab nation. The PNC calls on the Executive Committee to strengthen the PLO's relations with the national democratic and popular Egyptian forces which struggle against the normalization of relations with the Zionist enemy.

The PNC calls on the Executive Committee to define the relations with the Egyptian regime on the basis of the latter's abandoning of the Camp David policy.

On the International Level

A. The Brezhnev Plan:

The PNC expressed appreciation and support for the proposals included in President Brezhnev's plan of September 16, 1981. The plan affirmed the inalienable national rights of our people. The Council also expresses appreciation for the stands of the bloc of socialist countries towards our people's just cause. These stands were affirmed in the Prague communique on the Middle East issued on January 3, 1983.

B. Reagan Plan:

The Reagan Plan in its procedure and contents does not respond to the Palestinian people's inalienable national rights. The Reagan Plan negates the Palestinian rights of repatriation, self-determination, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. It also ignores the PLO as the Palestinian people's sole legitimate representative and contradicts international legitimacy. The PNC declares its refusal to consider the plan as a sound basis for a just and permanent settlement to the Palestinian question and the Arab- Zionist conflict.

C. Regarding International Relations:

9. The PNC affirms its adherence to the UN principles, charter, and resolutions which affirmed the Palestinian people's inalienable national rights and those of all peoples subject to occupation to engage in all forms of struggle for their liberation and national independence. The PNC reaffirms its firm denunciation of all Israeli and imperialist practices which violate international law, the universal declaration of human rights, and the UN charter and resolutions.

10. The PNC appreciates the activities and achievements of the UN committee to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights in Palestine. The PNC hails the efforts of the committee's members and the UN General Assembly decision to organize an international conference in the summer of 1983 to support the Palestinian people's rights.

 

Source: Journal of Palestine Studies, vol. xii, no 3, Spring 1983.