On Tuesday Fatah will hold its sixth congress in Bethlehem, at which point a draft party platform will
be put to the vote. That draft explicitly notes that Israel must not be
recognized as a Jewish state. Excerpts from the proposed platform were
posted yesterday on the official website of the sixth Fatah congress.
This is to be the first time in 20 years that elections for the party
leadership are to be held, and members of the congress are going to be
asked to ratify the proposed platform.

The platform notes that Fatah “praises the struggle by peaceful means
and restricts the use of violence, such as an Intifada, demonstrations,
clashes with settlers, so that the means of struggle are chosen at the
time and place that meet the public’s abilities.”…

Fatah’s political platform calls for the “liberation of the homeland,
an end to the settlements and the realization of the Palestinian
people’s rights. Fatah rejects any harm or terrorism perpetrated against
civilians and war outside the lands of the homeland except in the event
of self-defense. As such, we reject hijacking planes, holding women and
children hostage or attacks that are geared to harm innocent civilians,
or rocket fire at civilian targets.”

The Fatah platform will also call for increased international
pressure on Israel and will oppose any normalization between the Arab
states and Israel unless the occupation is ended.
The Fatah platform also refuses to accept the Israeli demand that the
Palestinians declare that they have no further demands from Israel until
a final status arrangement is reached. The platform also calls for a
“strategic channel with Iran to be opened.”

END

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR