Communicated by the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel,
December 28, 1998
Following are several examples of recent Palestinian statements of support for
Iraq:
* “The criminal American-British attack against the Iraqi people is not directed
solely against Iraq but against all the Muslims and the Arabs.
This attacked is directed against all of them and is aimed at harming
Arab honor… We condemn in the name of the Muslims the American-British
attacks and conspiracies against Iraq… Criminal America is attempting to
manufacture incidents from time to time to seize control over the resources of
the Gulf and to establish its influence in the Middle East.”
— from the Friday prayer sermon delivered by PA Mufti (senior Muslim
cleric) Ikrama Sabri, broadcast on the PA’s official Voice of Palestine radio,
December 25, 1998
* “A Palestinian emissary arrived in Baghdad carrying a letter from President
Yasser Arafat to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The Palestinian emissary,
Azzam al-Ahmed, PA Minister of Public Works, said… ’the President’s letter
stresses that the Palestinian people and its leadership stand by Iraq.'”
— report in the Palestinian daily Al-Quds, December 22, 1998
* “The Palestinian Legislative Council, which held a special session on
December 21, 1998 in Ramallah, during which the report of the Political
Committee was discussed concerning the cruel American-British aggression on
sisterly Iraq, emphasizes the following:
a) the Legislative Council condemns the American-British aggression on
sisterly Iraq and opposes it.
b) the Legislative Council demands that the international community
immediately remove the siege imposed on sisterly Iraq.
c) the Legislative Council calls on Arab and Islamic countries to adopt
clear positions against the aggression and positions calling for the removal of
the siege imposed on sisterly Iraq. It condemns the role played by UNSCOM and
the Chairman of UNSCOM, Richard Butler, in this crisis.
d) the Legislative Council decides to establish a popular Palestinian
committee to assist the Iraqi people.
e) the Legislative Council applauds the masses of the Palestinian people
and the positions of the Arabs, Muslims and friendly countries who opposed the
aggression and are demanding a lifting of the siege.
f) the Legislative Council applauds the firm stand of the great Iraqi
people and promises to continue the struggle to remove the siege imposed on it
and to bring an end to its suffering in all areas.
g) the Legislative Council calls for the convening of an emergency
meeting of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union to condemn the attack on sisterly
Iraq and to remove the siege imposed upon it.
h) the Legislative Council calls for the convening of an emergency Arab
summit in support of Iraq and the lifting of the sanctions imposed on it and to
thwart the attempts to harm its territorial integrity.
i) the Legislative Council calls on the United States to cease its
double-standard policy and demands that Israel implement its obligations.”
— statement issued by the Palestinian Authority’s highest legislative
body, the Palestinian Legislative Council, on December 21, 1998 (Al-Ayyam,
December 22, 1998)
* “Saddam, you are the strongest! Strike Tel Aviv with your chemical
weapons!”
— chant by Palestinian demonstrators in PA-controlled city of Jenin,
(CNN, December 19, 1998)
* “No one could have imagined that the Christmas presents this year would
have been dozens of American Tomahawk missiles raining down on the heads
of Iraqi children… They are trampling on the sanctity of the religions and their
holidays. Christmas has no importance for them and Ramadan has no value, but
only their greedy colonialist aims…”
— article in the official Palestinian Authority newspaper Al-Hayat
Al-Jadeeda, December 21, 1998
* “We believe the American aggression is unjustified and strongly condemned
by the Palestinian people… We can not stand idle. It is impossible for us to
remain silent. I believe the Palestinians will start burning the American flags
they raised yesterday.”
— PA Ambassador to Iraq Azzam Al-Ahmad in an interview with the
Palestinian English-language weekly The Jerusalem Times (December 18, 1998)
* “Othman Abu Gharbiya gave a speech
in the name of Yasser Arafat in which he said… ’those who call for peace shall
not deceive us, for peace is comprehensive and the blood of Iraq is the blood of
Palestine and he who spills its blood does not wish us well. Iraq and its people
and Palestine and its people shall remain while the invaders shall depart.'”
— report in the official Palestinian Authority newspaper Al-Hayat
Al-Jadeeda, December 18, 1998
* “We stand by the Iraqi people, and support the Iraqi nation. We want to see
the siege on the Iraqi people lifted. This is a known fact among the Palestinian
people. We call for the cessation of these attacks as they carry negative
repercussions for the region and its peoples.”
— Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat in an Israel Television
interview, December 17, 1998
* “We condemn this unjustifiable attack on Iraq and appeal for Arab countries
to convene an urgent summit… to call without delay for a halt to the attacks.”
— PA Cabinet Secretary Ahmed Abdel-Rahman (Reuters, December 16,
1998)
