Fayyad: “Palestinians Are Not Partners With The Occupation”

Friday November 13, 2009 15:46

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

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Marking Arafat’s death; Palestinian Prime Minister, Dr. Salaam Fayyad, stated Tuesday that the Israeli occupation has no partner on the Palestinian side, and that Israel and the world must know that the Palestinians want an end to the occupation.

The statements of Fayyad came during a ceremony in Ramallah marking the fifth anniversary of the late Palestinian President, Yasser Arafat.

“The whole world must know this fact”, Fayyad stated, “The Palestinians want to end the occupation, and will not be part in improving its image”.

He also stated that the late president, Yasser Arafat, stood firm and steadfast, and that Mahmoud Abbas, like Arafat, will remain steadfast and will never abandon the legitimate Palestinian rights.

“No Palestinian will ever give away even a grain of sand from our land”, Fayyad said, “We are all acting on ending the occupation and achieving our legitimate rights”.

The Palestinian Prime Minister further said that the Palestinians are steadfast on the principles that Arafat defended and died for, and that they will never abandon the Palestinian Right of Return, independence, and freedom.

He further said that the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and its principles will never be broken or weakened, and that the principles Yasser Arafat lived, fought and died for will be achieved through the steadfastness and unity of the Palestinian people.

“Our people will fulfill the dream of Yasser Arafat”, Fayyad said, “They will establish our independent state with Jerusalem as its eternal capital”.

Yasser Arafat became ill after the Israeli forces confined him in his headquarters in Ramallah for two years, and repeatedly shelled and bulldozed sections of his headquarters. He was later on moved to France and fell into a coma at the French Hospital. He died on November 11, 2004 at the age of 75.

Arafat founded Fateh movement in 1959 and spent most of his life as a fighter and a leader of the movement and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). He supported peace talks and signed several peace deals with Israel.

Regardless of peace talks, Israel continued its violations and its illegal settlement activities in the occupied territories and always refused to hold talks on a permanent solution.

Consecutive Israeli government refused to hold talks on fundamental issues such as Jerusalem, refugees, natural sources and borders.