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Programme of principles for the Palestine Committee of Norway (adopted March 2008) |
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mandag 14. april 2008 02:00 |
THE PALESTINE COMMITTEE OF NORWAY:
- supports the liberation struggle of the Palestinian people.
- supports the establishment of a democratic state in Palestine state with equal rights for all.
- supports the right of return for all Palestinian refugees in line with UN resolution 194
- maintains that Zionism is a racist ideology.
- demands that the state of Israel withdraw from the occupied territories in accordance with 242.
- maintains that the separation wall is contradictory to international law and must be demolished.
- claims that the origin of the conflict is colonialism and imperialism.
- oppose solutions forced on the Palestinian people by the Great Powers.
THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE
The struggle of the Palestinian people is a struggle for fundamental human and national rights. Through the UN resolution of recognition of the State of Israel in 1949 and later the occupation by the Israeli state of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, the Palestinian people have been deprived of these rights. According to international law Palestine is today an occupied country, and the struggle of the Palestinian people is thus a just struggle against an occupant. We support the Palestinian peoples right to armed resistance in accordance with international law.
The state of Israel contravenes a series of UN resolutions and international conventions. While this is accepted by the international society the Palestinian people cannot expect justice unless it by itself shakes off the occupant (intifada). In this struggle the PLO is today the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
ZIONISM - THE STATE OF ISRAEL IS RACIST
The Israeli State is founded on Zionism which gives Jews exclusive right to Palestine. The State of Israel sees itself as a state for Jews worldwide and not as a tool for those living within the borders of the state. This contravenes the principle that a state should embrace all inhabitants within the borders of the state.
The Zionist State practices ethnic cleansing. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 a great part of the original population was actively displaced. That Palestinians today are being deprived of residence permit in East Jerusalem is an expression of this policy.
The laws of the Zionist state imply discrimination of non-Jews. Most clearly this is expressed in the Law of Return and the law of citizenship, laws that give every Jew the right to settle in the country and right of citizenship. At the same time Palestinians who have lived in the county in generations are without citizenship. The State of Israel distinguishes between nationality and citizenship. A non-Jew can by definition not belong to the Jewish nation. In the Zionist state basic rights are attached to the status of being Jew/non-Jew. Zionism becomes in its consequence a racist ideology.
At the same time it is important to distinguish between Zionism and Jewish faith. Anti-Zionism is directed against a political ideology, while anti-Semitism implies prosecution of a Jews as a group. Norway has a dark history concerning anti-Semitism. It is an important task for The Palestine Committee to fight all forms of anti-Semitism. The Palestine Committee is opposed to all kinds of suppression and discrimination whether it is directed against race, religion, nation, class, sex or individuals.
IMPERIALISM
Imperialism concerns control over and exploitation of other countries. The Middle East is of economic and military strategic importance. It has always been an objective for leading powers wanting to dominate the world to control this area. The Zionist colonisation of the area was supported by Great Powers which after World War II found it in their best interest to support the establishment of a Zionist state. In doing so they would establish a state that might be a bridgehead for their interests in the Arab world. The UN decision of 1947 to separate the area was taken over the heads of the people of the area and implied that great parts of the country was taken from the Palestinian people. In all subsequent years Great Powers have supported the State of Israel at the cost of the Palestinian people.
In later years USA and the West have launched wars in different parts of the world under the pretext of protecting Human Rights and/or fighting terror. In that context it is worth mentioning that the well documented contraventions of a series of UN resolutions, international law and especially Human Rights by the State of Israel, and the terror of that state, has not resulted in sanctions.
THE WEST ATTACS THE PALESTINIAN DEMOCRACY
Following the democratic elections of 2006 which Hamas won, the West through sanctions has provoked infighting between Palestinian groups.
The Palestine Committee does not wish to enter this conflict by siding for one party against the other, but opposes the branding by USA, Israel and the West of the democratically elected leadership and their repeated attempts at dividing the Palestinian people. We support actions, initiatives to strengthen the unity and independence of the Palestinians. The Palestine Committee considers PLO to be the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
FREE PALESTINE
The Palestine Committee supports every development in the direction of freedom and independence for those today living under occupation, and we support every development towards equal rights for those today living as second class citizens in the State of Israel. Abolishing the illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied areas and the right of all Palestinian refugees to return are among important conditions for a solution. A peaceful solution to the conflict is only possible when the Palestinian people is granted full national rights: In the long run we believe that the only possible solution will be one state in the area. In this state all inhabitants must be granted equal rights independent of religious or ethnic affiliation.
Since UN originally agreed to the partition of Palestine, and thus participated in creating the conflict, UN has a responsibility to contribute to a solution and for the security of the Palestinian population
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