Zionist occupation and oppression increasing, solidarity movement must continue
An international solidarity delegation headed by the Anti-imperialist Camp is currently visiting Palestine to convey a message of continued support to the Palestinian resistance movement.
The delegation has been meeting with representatives of all currents of the Palestinian resistance movements and it stresses that solidarity with the legitimate Palestinian struggle for freedom and self determination can not be divided. The Palestinian resistance movement has to be supported in all its currents, including the Islamic organisations and any accusations of terrorism have to be rejected.
While the pullout of Israeli forces from Gaza is undoubtedly due to the steadfastness of the resistance in Gaza, occupation will continue and self determination is further than ever. Against this background, claims of Fatah representatives that the Gaza pullout would be the first step of a process of settlement dismantling in the Westbank as well and the beginning of Palestinian sovereignty are ridiculous. To the contrary, Sharon will use it as justification for new land grab in strategic places like Arab Jerusalem. Meanwhile Fatah has completely sold out to US and Israeli pressure and is in the process of transformation towards a genuine US-Israeli puppet regime.
While it is true that after five years of Intifada, continuing Israeli aggression and deprivation of elementary human rights the Palestinian people and resistance forces need a rest, resistance forces signed the cease fire in April out of different motives and basically without any returns from the Israeli side.
As confirmed by Zacharia Zubeidi, leader of the Al Aqsa Brigades in the Westbank, to the solidarity delegation, Fatah-linked forces see the cease fire as a step to give president Mahmoud Abbas a chance. Other forces, above all those linked to the Islamic movement, see the cease fire as a necessary pause in the struggle without any illusions in the Abbas government.
The solidarity delegation also visited the territories occupied by Israel in 1948 and met with organisation of the Palestinian liberation movement, above all with Abna al Balad, an organisation advocating the one state solution.
The delegation also met with the vice mayor of the town of Qalqilya, a town heavily suffering from the Israeli apartheid wall which is surrounding it from three sides. The newly elected mayor of Qalqilya is an Hamas affiliate, but currently held in administrative detention by the Israeli armed forces.
Further meetings are scheduled with the mayor of Bethlehem, who is an PFLP affiliate elected with the votes of Hamas, as well as with PFLP Secretary General Ahmed Saadat, who since 2002 is imprisoned in Jericho, a jail under Palestinian administration, but controlled by British and American forces.
Bethlehem, August 23, 2005
