MIFTAH - Public Statement

Public Statement

Date posted: August 14, 2004

The Palestinian land has been witnessing a devastating escalation in the Israeli aggression on our people, our institutions and our capabilities, especially during the latest events in Beit Hanoun, Rafah, Nablus and other areas. The Apartheid Separation Wall continues to be built and settlements continue to be enlarged with the blatant cover of the US Administration. Along with this deterioration, there has been an unprecedented state of loose security, violation of law, attempted political assassination, violent events, kidnappings and assaults on public properties.

Today, more than ever before, there is a need to confront this deteriorating crisis which has affected the Palestinian political system in all its components. Cosmetic, administrative and partial solutions are no guarantees that this crisis will not endanger the whole Palestinian national scheme.

Facing those challenges and the threats posing before us requires the restoration of our political initiative in confronting the Sharon plan that aims to prevent the creation of a fully sovereign Palestinian state. To face those challenges, we should also revive our Palestinian national program and introduce deep-rooted reforms into our political regime structure and into the decision making process. Add to this everything we need to rehabilitate the executive, judicial and legal authorities, enforce law and order, spread the basis of equality and justice, immediately cease all forms of corruption, anarchy and security chaos and prevent the phenomenon of taking law into one's hands.

Dangers of the US-backed Israeli plan threaten to destroy the basic foundations of our Palestinian people's unity and our territorial integrity. Therefore, there is a fundamental need to restructure our internal conditions and put our home in order in order to be able to confront this plan.

We, the undersigned, call for the unification of all forces, figures and institutions that are loyal to our national goal in order to fortify the steadfastness and to introduce reforms and change. We emphasize the following:

ONE: Our commitment to our national legitimate rights to return, self determination and to set up our fully sovereign independent Palestinian state on all the land occupied in 1967 with Jerusalem our capital. We strongly adhere to the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of our people.

TWO: Support the right of our people to resist occupation, settlement and aggression while excluding civilians on both sides from the cycle of violence. We stress on the importance to revive the populace intifada and to enhance forms of public resistance.

THREE: Our condemnation of, and fight against, all forms of corruption and our support for genuine, serious and persistent work to uproot corruption, to expose those involved in it to accountability within the framework of law.

FOUR: Our condemnation of all forms of anarchy and security chaos, including assaults or takeover of public and private lands and properties, all kinds of armed demonstrative rallies, resorting to violence and the use of arms in settling internal accounts or differences.

FIVE: The immediate launching of comprehensive reforms into the PLO institutions and the institutions of the Palestinian National Authority and its security apparatuses, as well as all civil society organizations.

This endeavor represents a fundamental national need to strengthen our internal powers and to augment our capabilities of steadfastness in the face of the Sharon plan and against outside pressure. It is also needed to improve the performance of the PNA and to enable it to provide the best services to the people mainly in the fields of employment, health, education and social welfare. To achieve all these calls, we demand the following:

1- Enable the government to shoulder its responsibilities and to carry out its duties with full powers as stated in Basic Law and call on the Palestinian leadership and all political forces to work together in order to reinforce political partnership and to form a national salvation government based on the widest coalition possible and to implement the reforms that were ratified by the Palestinian Legislative Council.

2- The supremacy of the rule of law and the independence and impartiality of the judicial system while following up all corruption files, subject those involved to accountability and punishing the convicts. Work should be accelerated to introduce the law of "illegal wealth" and the law that regulates works, structure, authorities and the terms of reference for all the Palestinian security apparatuses so that they would shoulder their responsibilities in protecting the safety of the people and of the homeland and in enforcing law and public order. This law should ban the security apparatuses from interfering in political, financial or economic fields or in the works of civil society organizations, except when deemed necessary under the law. The security apparatuses should be rehabilitated and their commanders be renewed.

3- Call on all political forces to shoulder their historical responsibilities and to start a serious and comprehensive dialogue based on the foundations and results reached in previous dialogue sessions in such a way that would crystallize a national program that reinforces partnership and centrality in the decision making process.

4- Serious preparation for public (presidential and legislative) and local elections based on a modern democratic law that adopts rules of mixed gender and guarantees posts for women. Call on the international community to assist the Palestinian people in organizing the elections through guaranteeing the withdrawal of Israel and preventing her from interfering, whether directly or indirectly, in the democratic process.

5- Call on the Palestinian Government to treat all forms of social congestions and to distribute with utmost justice and balance all resources in order to face the ramifications of occupation and aggression, through giving top priority to areas struck by aggression and by the Apartheid Separation Wall, and through finding the appropriate methods for achieving these goals by cooperating with civil society organizations and augmenting the rules of justice and equality.

6- Call for democratic dialogue to prevail and condemnation of all forms of breaching this rule and urge the people not to get drawn after attempts aimed at splitting national unity or imposing dangerous polarizations and to renounce all those who assail the rights of our society and endanger its very existence.

The signatories of this public statement hereby reiterate their insistence to follow up all the listed items above while inviting and welcoming the participation of all those interested, including public, national and political figures and forces. This is a Grand National duty for all of us.

Signatures:

1. Abdul Aziz Q'deih
2. Abdul Karim Ashour
3. Abdul Qader Husseini
4. Abdul Rahman Abu Arafeh
5. Abdul Rahman Awadallah
6. Abdullah Abu Al Ata
7. Abdullah Abu Samahdaneh
8. Adi Al Hindi
9. Ahmad Dahbour
10. Ahmad Daoud
11. Andalib Adwan
12. Dr. Anton Sh'heiber
13. Dr. Awad Hijazi
14. Aziz Abdul Jawad
15. Dr. Azmi Al Shu'aibi
16. Baker Abu Baker
17. Basel Jaber
18. Bassam Musleh
19. Bassam Salhi
20. Daoud Talhami
21. Dhiab Al Louh
22. Elias Zananiri
23. Dr. Faiha' Abdul Hadi
24. Dr. Fat'hi Waheidi
25. Dr. Fawaz Abu Sitta
26. Fuad Rizeq
27. Dr. Ghassan Al Khatib
28. Ghazi Lutfi
29. Dr. Goerge Geacaman
30. Dr. Haidar Abdul Shafi
31. Haidar Awadallah
32. Dr. Hanan Ashrawi
33. Hanan Taha
34. Hani Al Hayek
35. Hani Al Masri
36. Hani Habib
37. Hani Saba
38. Hanna Amireh
39. Hanna Siniora
40. Hassan Khader
41. Hatem Abdul Qader
42. Hiam Abu Ghazaleh
43. Hisham Abdul Razeq
44. Huda Elayyan
45. Ibrahim Dughmeh
46. Dr. Ibrahim Khreisheh
47. Ibtisam Salem
48. Dr. Ilham Abu Ghazaleh
49. Ismail Abu Shamala (Abu Nidal)
50. Dr. Issa Ja'anini
51. Issam Abdul Hadi
52. Issam Arouri
53. Issam Younis
54. Dr. Iyad Sarraj
55. Jaber Washah
56. Jamal Abu Nahel
57. Jamal Shobaki
58. Jamal Zaqout
59. Dr. Jamil Hilal
60. Jiries Qassis
61. Dr. Kamal Al Sharafi
62. Khaled Al Khatib
63. Khaled Jum'aa
64. Khaled Mansour
65. Lama Al Horani
66. Maha Abu Dayyeh
67. Maha Al Tamimi
68. Mahmoud Sh'qeir
69. Dr. Mamdouh Al Aker
70. Mamdoun Noufal
71. Mansour Abu Radwan
72. Marwan Jilani
73. Mazen Al Jarbawi
74. Dr. M'kheimer Abu Sa'ada
75. Mohammad Abu Sham'a
76. Mohammad Adel Al Masri
77. Mohammad Al Horani
78. Mohammad Al Masrouji
79. Mohammad Dahman
80. Muhannad Abdul Hamid
81. Mustafa Al Rantisi
82. Nabil Amr
83. Nabil Kutari
84. Nabil Qabalan
85. Dr. Nabil Qassis
86. Nabil Tarazi
87. Dr. Nader Said
88. Nadia Abu Nahleh
89. Na'ela Ayesh
90. Nafez Ghneim
91. Naim Nasser
92. Nassar Nassar
93. Nasser Al Shurafa
94. Nasser Aleiwah
95. Dr. Nasser Jab'r
96. Nawal Zaqout
97. Dr. Nazmi Al Ju'beh
98. Nibras Bseiso
99. Ni'meh Al Hilo
100. Omar Sha'ban
101. Qaddoura Fares
102. Qais Abdul Karim (Abu Laila)
103. Ra'ed Abu Al Sa'oud
104. Rafiq Abu Dhalfeh
105. Reem Abboushi
106. Rida Nattil
107. Dr. Riyad Za'anoun
108. Sa'ad Khurma
109. Sa'di Abu Abed
110. Sa'ed Abdul Hadi
111. Safi Safi
112. Saji Salameh
113. Sakher Bseiso
114. Salah Abdul Shafi
115. Dr. Salim Tamari
116. Sama'an Khouri
117. Samer Shihadeh
118. Dr. Sami Kilani
119. Sami Sa'idi
120. Dr. Samih Al Abed
121. Samih Khalil
122. Dr. Samir Abdallah
123. Samir Hleileh
124. Siham Al Barghouti
125. Subhiyeh Jum'a
126. Suheil Jad'oun
127. Talal Owkal
128. Tal'at Safadi
129. Dr. Taleb Awad
130. Tamer Issawi
131. Dr. Taysir Arouri
132. Taysir M'heisen
133. Terry Boullata
134. Tewfiq Abu Ghazaleh
135. Tewfiq Abu Khousa
136. Dr. Usama Farra
137. Wafa' Abdul Rahman
138. Walid Abu Baker
139. Walid Al Awad
140. Walid Atatrah
141. Dr. Walid Mustafa
142. Yasser Abed Rabbo
143. Yousef Abu Safiyyeh
144. Zahira Kamal
145. Dr. Zakaria Al Agha
146. Dr. Zaki Abdul Majid
147. Zeinab Al Ghanimi
146. Dr. Zaki Abdul Majid
147. Zeinab Al Ghanimi

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By: Jonathan Fowler

Date: 30/09/2004

GENEVA -- Three of every four Palestinians live in poverty and their economy still depends on donors, despite 4.5 percent economic growth last year, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

The rise was fueled largely by agriculture and small businesses, which engage in ``forced import substitution'' because so few goods can get past Israel's tough blockade, said Raja Khalidi, a senior official at the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development.

But the increase in Gross Domestic Product follows two years of ``freefall'' since the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian fighting in late 2000 and is unlikely to be sustained, Khalidi said.

``The fact that there was growth in 2003 is really a matter of bottoming out, not a rebound,'' he said, as he launched UNCTAD's annual report on the economic consequences of the conflict. ``Treading water is perhaps an apt metaphor,'' Khalidi later told the AP.

The Palestinian economy has been hit by Israeli roadblocks and closures, which have hampered commerce in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel says the restrictions are needed to stop Palestinian suicide bombers and gunmen who have killed around a thousand Israelis. Around 3,000 Palestinians have died.

The World Bank has cited a 40 percent fall in Palestinian per capita GDP since the outbreak of violence, saying it far exceeds the impact of the Great Depression in the United States.

``The Palestinian economy is being transformed into one of subsistence,'' said Khalidi.

Average income among the 3.5 million Palestinians fell from $1,750 a year in 1999 to $1,040 last year. Overall, 72 percent of Palestinians live below a poverty line of $3.60 a day.

Some 127,000 Palestinians used to work in Israel, providing vital income for many families. But under security restrictions the number has slumped to 53,000.

Around 277,000 Palestinians are unemployed, from a 792,000-strong work force, according to U.N. figures. The figure would be worse but for the Palestinian economy's ability to absorb many workers who used to have jobs in Israel, albeit at far lower wages, the report said.

Palestinian areas also rely on international aid to keep the economy afloat, Khalidi said. ``It's a crutch, and without that crutch (growth) is not sustainable,'' he said.

Powell Says Palestinian Uprising Should End

By: Reuters

Date: 30/09/2004

Palestinians Take Back the Night in Ramallah

By: Joshua Mitnick

Date: 01/09/2004

With new upscale restaurants, bars, and theater, the West Bank city is undergoing a cultural revival.

Just a few minutes drive from Yasser Arafat's half-destroyed headquarters, Usama Khalaf's version of upscale Ramallah dining is taking off.

His restaurant called Darna occupies a grand renovated stone villa with high-ceilinged archways and a second-floor patio that draws scores of young Palestinians. It serves large dishes of innovative Middle Eastern fare, but, more importantly, offers fragments of normalcy, which has become so elusive during the past four years.

The $800,000 spent by the restaurateur to open Darna - where waiters sport snappy bow ties and tuxedo vests - represents more than a shrewd bid to attract the city's bourgeois; it signals a revival of the cultural scene that made Ramallah a cosmopolitan capital for Palestinians.

In recent months new eateries have opened and the city's offerings have expanded despite Israel checkpoints and military raids. For Khalaf, opening Darna was simultaneously the fulfillment of a life's dream and an act of political defiance.

"I had an obligation to my hometown," Khalaf says. "When they saw someone investing despite the closures and incursions, it gave people the willingness to stay."

In the 1950s under Jordanian rule, Arab vacationers would arrive in Ramallah from the Persian Gulf in the summer to savor the cool mountain breeze during the evening. Pleasant weather and pastoral surroundings earned the tiny city the nickname "the Bride of Palestine." When the West Bank came under Israeli control, the Arab citizens of Israel would overrun the city's hotels on the weekends. It boasted a thriving nightlife, which included the only jazz club in the West Bank.

Danny Jafar, the grandson of a Ramallah hotelier, opened the Sangrias restaurant during the first year of the fighting with just five tables and a menu featuring nachos and burritos.

During the four months of daily military curfews in the summer of 2002, word of mouth spread that Sangrias had remained open for journalists. Patrons desperate to break the monotony of the citywide lockdown surreptitiously found their way to the bar. "I used to open up when people would go home and the tanks would come out," Jafar says. "Lights would be off and curtains would be drawn, but there were people inside. It was a hangout."

Last month, Jafar opened a new lounge area out back and expanded Sangrias' capacity to 45 tables. On a recent Saturday night, recordings by American rapper 50 Cent played from a stereo in the courtyard and smoke from nargilla water pipes floated among diners under illuminated walnut trees.

"I could be at a funeral procession in the morning and I could be at a bar at night," said Sameh Katkhuda, an information technology consultant. "This isn't Ramallah. It's San Francisco."

Unlike other cities in the West Bank, Ramallah is a base for the Palestinian government, nonprofit organizations, and foreign diplomats, providing for a steady flow of disposable income. The international presence in the city of 21,000 (the population goes up to 250,000 if you count surrounding villages) has helped turn it into hub for cultural institutions. The Ramallah Cultural Palace, a state-of-the art auditorium that opened in July, has already hosted a film festival and a production of "Al-Fawanees," the first Palestinian musical.

"As an outsider, you would think that there's no place for cultural activities or a cultural life," says Rita Janssen, a UN official who is the director of the cultural palace. "But it seems to be more important to them than when you're living in peace and quiet."

Hours after a performance of "Al-Fawanees," both Ms. Janssen and casts members were dining at Darna, where 20-somethings wearing American athletic jerseys had gathered to lounge in the patio.

When the restaurant was featured on Israeli television news magazine, Ariel Sharon is said to have been "amazed" at the site of such an establishment, owner Khalaf recalled with satisfaction.

"We're not just suicide bombers. We don't love just blood," Khalaf said. "We have another face. Ultimately, we have a desire to live."

U.N.: Most Palestinians live below poverty line Date posted: September 30, 2004 By Jonathan Fowler

Powell Says Palestinian Uprising Should End Date posted: September 30, 2004 By Reuters

Palestinians Take Back the Night in Ramallah Date posted: September 01, 2004 By Joshua Mitnick

U.N.: Most Palestinians live below poverty line
Date posted: September 30, 2004
By Jonathan Fowler

Powell Says Palestinian Uprising Should End
Date posted: September 30, 2004
By Reuters

Palestinians Take Back the Night in Ramallah
Date posted: September 01, 2004
By Joshua Mitnick