23 May 2006
Note: The following letter is a joint initiative
between Ensan Center for Democracy & Human Rights and the Palestinian
Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). It
has been signed and endorsed by several Palestinian, Israeli, and
international public figures, and officially handed to the US Consul-General
in Jerusalem today, Tuesday, 23 May 2006.
Dear Mr. President,
In our capacity as Palestinian public figures, political
leaders, and representatives of Palestinian civil society, we are writing to
you with grave concern regarding the upcoming visit of Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert to the United States.
Our concerns stem from the fact that Israel’s
short-sighted unilateralist policy in ending the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict is not only destructive to our common goal of achieving a durable
and just peace in the region, but is also in direct contradiction to your
own declared vision for a negotiated two-state solution, with a democratic,
independent, and sovereign Palestinian state existing peacefully side by
side with the state of Israel.
Following the Israeli general elections in March 2006,
Israel’s dangerous intentions to bypass negotiations and international law
have become more evident, hence threatening to add more volatility to an
already explosive situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.
We reaffirm our commitment to the peaceful resolution of
the conflict on the basis of respect for all the relevant United Nations
resolutions, including 242, 338, and 194 (concerning a just solution of the
Palestinian refugees’ issue); the return to the 1967 boundaries and the
dismantling of all Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including
Palestinian east Jerusalem, are the essential prerequisites for a lasting
peace in the region.
In particular, we urge your administration to take
concrete steps in preventing the Israeli government from unilaterally
declaring Israel’s future borders along the lines of the Separation Wall,
which illegally annexes a total of approximately 46% of the West Bank to
Israel (including the settlements), thereby leaving the Palestinians with
territorially-fragmented and isolated Palestinian population centres in
which to realise your vision for the future Palestinian state. Furthermore,
Israel’s unilateral vision aims to create punitive borders by which new
facts on the ground are imposed on the Palestinian side, namely illegal
settlement structures, including the expanded boundaries of Ma’ale Adumim in
east Jerusalem (the E1 Plan), the Separation Wall, and the various illegal
bypass roads, all of which suffocate the economic and social wellbeing of
the Palestinian population in the occupied territories.
A politically and economically viable Palestinian state
cannot be established on fragmented territories in the West Bank (and the
Gaza Strip); all of the Gaza Strip and all of the West Bank, including
Palestinian east Jerusalem, are classified as occupied territory under
international law; hence their contiguity forms the basis of our shared
vision for the realization of the future Palestinian state.
We strongly believe that it is a key responsibility of the
United States, as a major partner and broker in the Middle East peace
process, to bring Israel to compliance with all signed agreements; it is
only through an active US role that we can end the illegal occupation which
began in 1967.
Sincerely,
Palestinians Signed the Letter:
Dr. Hanan Ashrawi: Palestinian Legislative Council member for “The Third
Way” parliamentary block, and Head of MIFTAH’s Executive Committee.
Naim Ashhab: Journalist, Writer. Jerusalem
Qais Abdel Karim: PLC Member. PDFLP Politburo Member, PLO
Bassam Salhi: PLC Member, G. Secretary of Palestinian People's Party.
Ramallah.
Saleh Ra'afat: General Secretary, Palestinian Democratic Union Party "
Fida".
Issa Qaraqe: PLC Member, Bethlehem.
Fouad Kokali: PLC Member. Bethlehem
Mohammad Lahham: PLC Member. Bethlehem
Dr Ahmad Majdalni: PLO Central Council Member, Member of Politburo of
Palestinian People Struggle Front.
Khaled Mansour: Member of Politburo, Palestinian People's Party.
Dr Salim Tamari: Institute of Jerusalem Studies.
Dr. Nasri Abu Jesh: Secretary of Palestinian Dentists union. Nablus, Member
Of People's Party Central Committee.
Rima Tarazi: General Union of Palestinian Women. Ramnallah.
Nuha Barghouti:General Union of Palestinian Women. Ramallah.
Dima Awaidah Nashashibi: Assistant Director
Palestinian People's Struggle Front.
Samih Khalil: G. Director of Al-Sharq Insurance Co. Ramallah.
Tayseer Aroury: Lecturer, Bir Zeit University
Dr. Samir Khalil: Pediatrician. Ramallah.
Dr. Anwar Dudin: Dean of Medical School, Alquds University.
Dr. Lily Feidy: Secretary General, MIFTAH.
Dr. Iyad Sarraj: G.Director of Gaza Center for Mental Heialth. Gaza
Issam Younis: G. Director of Al- Mezan Center for Human Rights. Gaza
Abdel Kareem Ashour: Director of Union of Agricultural Relief Committees.
Gaza.
AbdelHadi Abu Khosa: Gaza.
Amal Nashashibi: Human Resources Development Consultant, Jerusalem.
Dr. Nasri Kumsieh: Physician , Beit Sahour.
Suliman Abu Dayyeh: Jerusalem.
Dr. Spiro Tams: Jerusalem
Dr. Mohammad Jadallah.: Head of Jerusalem Branch of Palestinian Doctors
Union.
Ghassan F. Abdullah: IT Consultant, Ramallah. "Palestine"
Shawqi Issa : G. Director of Ensan Center. Bethlehem
Khalil Rashmawi: Beit Sahour.
Mohamad Manasra: G. Director, Hares Researches and Media, Bethlehem.
Munther Dakkak: IT Consultant, Data Set. Jerusalem.
Mousa Qous: Media and Information Programme, MIFTAH.
Ghada Zughair: Assistant to the General Director for External Relations
PARC- Beit Hanina.
Rami Bathish: Media and Information Programme, MIFTAH
Naser Lahham: Editor of Maan News Agency. Bethlehem
Raed Othman: Director of Maan Independent News Network. Bethlehem.
Amjad Shawa: Coordinator of PNGO. Gaza.
Awni Abu Ghoshe: Palestinian National Council Member. Jerusalem
Fadel Taqhboub: Palestinian National Council Member. Jerusalem
Khaled Azzeh: Palestinian National Council Member. Bethlehem.
Rana Nashashibi : JERUSALEM.
Palestinian Economists Society. Palestine
Taha Nassar: PDFLP, Central Committee member.Tradeunionist. Hebron.
Dr. Abdel Aleem Da'na: PFLP Central Committee Member, Lecturer at
Polytechnic Institute. Hebron.
Jamal El Amleh: Director of Land Research Center. Hebron.
Fahmi Shaheen: Human Rights Activist. Hebron.
Mrs. Amal Ju'beh: Woman Leader, Hebron.
Yunis Tayyem. Trade unionist, People's Party Central Committee member
Hebron.
Mahmoud Daraweesh
Hasib Nashashibi: Ensan Center for Democracy and Human Rights. Jerusalem.
Dr AbdelRahman Abu Al-Nasr: Lawyer lecturer,Al Azzhar University . Gaza
Mohammad Dahman: Democracy and worker's Rights Center. Gaza
Younis Al- Jarrou: Lawyer. Gaza.
Adel Abu Jahl: Lawyer. Gaza
Nadia Abu Nahla: Gaza.
Anis Qandil: Joy and Education Center. Gaza.
Dr: Mohammad Ghadia---Member in the Palestinian National Council.
Dr. Taleb Awad: Ramallah.
Endorsement By Israeli Organizations and Movements
As Israeli organizations struggling against the occupation
and for a just peace between Israel and a free and sovereign Palestinian state,
we would like to express our support of the call addressed by Palestinian civil
society organizations to President Bush on the occasion of Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert’s coming visit to Washington.
We especially share the position that unilateral measures
cannot, in any way, be a step toward a lasting peace between the Israeli and the
Palestinian peoples; peace requires dialogue and negotiation, not unilateralism.
Moreover, expanding settlements and annexing “settlements blocs” cannot be seen
but as a declaration of war, not a step toward peace.
As do our Palestinian friends, we urge the international
community to stop the Israeli government and impose on it a return to
negotiations on the basis of the relevant UN resolutions.
Taayush – Arab Jewish Partnership.
Coalition of women for Peace (which Include 9 women organizations).
Bat Sahlom.
Yesh Gvol.
Gush shalom.
AIC – Alternative Information Center.
ICAHD- The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.
Anarchist against the Wall.
Israelis Endorsing the Letter:
Dr. Ron Kuzar
Address: Department of English Language and Literature
University of Haifa
IL-31905 Haifa, Israel
Office: +972-4-824-9826, Fax: +972-4-824-9711
Home: +972-77-616-6699, Mobile: +972-54-481-9676
Email: kuzar@research.haifa.ac.il
HomePage: http://research.haifa.ac.il/~kuzar
Efraim Davidi:
Lea Tsemel: Lawyer. Jerusalem.
Uri Davis (Dr): Sakhnin 20173.Israel
Internationals:
Joel Beinin: Professor of Middle East History, Stanford
University, Stanford, CA 94305-2024, Tel: 650.723.4956, beinin@stanford.edu
Dr. Chandra Muzaffar: President, International Movement for a Just World
(JUST).
Lot 1066 Jalan SS 22/43
Damansara Jaya 47400
Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
MALAYSIA
Tel: 603 7727 6386 Fax: 603 7727 7389
Website: www.just-international.org
Reply muza@streamyx.com
Ruhul Tarafder: The 1990 Trust. Ruhul [ruhul@blink.org.uk]
For further information please contact:
Hasib Nashashibi, Ensan Center for Democracy & Human Rights
Telefax: +972-2-2766842
ensan@ensancenter.org
Ensan Center Webpage
Rami Bathish, MIFTAH
Tel: +972-2-5851842
mip@miftah.org
