Arafat Invokes 1974 Phased Plan Calling for Israel’s Destruction
Communicated by the Israel Government Press Office, April 28, 1998
The OBLIGATION
Under the terms of the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority (PA) is obligated to refrain
from incitement against Israel.
In his exchange of letters with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on September 9, 1993,
Chairman Yasser Arafat wrote, the PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of
violence and will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure
their compliance, prevent violations and discipline violators.
The Interim Agreement (Oslo 2) of September 28, 1995 (Article XXII) states that Israel and
the PA shall seek to foster mutual understanding and tolerance and shall accordingly abstain
from incitement, including hostile propaganda, against each other and, without derogating from
the principle of freedom of expression, shall take legal measures to prevent such incitement by
any organizations, groups or individuals within their jurisdiction.
In the Note for the Record which accompanied the Hebron Protocol of January 15, 1997,
the Palestinians reaffirmed their commitment regarding, Preventing incitement and hostile
propaganda, as specified in Article XXII of the Interim Agreement.
The Violation
Following are excerpts from an interview given by PA Chairman Yasser Arafat to the
Egyptian Orbit TV on April 18, 1998. Chairman Arafat’s remarks constitute incitement against
Israel and are a violation of the Oslo Accords and the Hebron Protocol. Israel intends to lodge a
formal complaint with the Palestinians.
Question: Were you under pressure from the Arab states then?
Arafat: No. In 1974, at the Palestinian National Council meeting in Cairo, we passed the decision
to establish national Palestinian rule over any part of the land of Palestine which is liberated.
Q: If a violent incident occurs, Netanyahu will exploit it and say that it is for this reason
that he is not hurrying to make an agreement with the Palestinians, since they are incapable of
controlling the situation.
Arafat: I know his tricks. Everyone must know that all options are open before the Palestinian
people, and not just the Palestinian people, but before the entire Arab nation.
Q: How do you explain that you occasionally ask the Palestinian street not to explode?
Arafat: When the prophet Muhammad made the Khudaibiya agreement, he agreed to remove his
title messenger of Allah from the agreement. Then, Omar bin Khatib and the others referred to
this agreement as the inferior peace agreement. Of course, I do not compare myself to the
prophet, but I do say that we must learn from his steps and those of Salah a-Din. The peace
agreement which we signed is an inferior peace. The conditions are the intifada,
which lasted for seven years.
Q: Eight or nine years.
Arafat: Or twenty years. I say that all options are open before the Palestinian people. The
Israelis are troubled by this phrase, but I ask them: Why are you troubled by this phrase? Is it
because you do not wish to implement the agreements?.
Q: For practical reasons, do you now suggest to maintain quiet despite everything?
Arafat: Yes, I suggest we maintain quiet. We respect agreements the way that the prophet
Muhammad and Salah a-Din respected the agreements which they signed.
Q: If your rival, and I don’t want to say enemy, will not respect the accord, what will you
do?
Arafat: We will cross that bridge when we come to it. As I said, all options are open before the
Palestinian people.
Q: Is Arafat still the same revolutionary fighter? Is he capable of taking to the streets when
necessary?
Arafat: This nation of giants has created 100,000 Arafats. We are a nation of giants which has
been struggling with World Zionism for 101 years, and we are capable of beginning it all again. I
say this not in the name of Arafat but in the name of the new generals.
Q: There are Western observers who say that something must happen on the ground in
order for things to start moving. Do you think that something must happen on the street, or is it
enough to have effective American pressure?
Arafat: The only answer which you will get from me is that all options are open before the
Palestinian people.
Q: Does your position permit you to work without interruption, as you are wont to do?
Arafat: Without a doubt. I would also like to say that I envy the martyrs and I hope to become
one of them, though it has been decreed thus far that I continue to live.
Arafat’s reference to the PLO’s 1974 Phased Plan for Israel’s destruction in the interview
above marks the second time in three months that he has referred to it.
He previously invoked it in an interview with the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam (January 1, 1998),
on the occasion of Fatah day.
