HURT BY what transpires on the land of Palestine with the weakening and disparagement of the people together with the forgoing of their rights, we, as ordinary people driver by our national identification and concern. address you on behalf of working together to After the Oslo agreements, the Palestinian leadership spoke of a state with Jerusalem its capital, the retum of the relugees ano tre displaced, the dismantling of settlements, the liberation of prisoners, and the preparing of the economic groundwork to become the ingapore of the entire region. Some were decered. and celebrated in the streets by what they claimed was victory.
Yet, after six years of Oslo, more lands are robbed while settlements expand, the conspiring against the issue of refugees accelertes behind the scenes, and Palestinian jails dose their doors on our own sons and caughters.
Jerusalem has not returned, and Singapore has not arrived. The people have been divided into two groupings: the select who rule and steal, and the majority which complains and searches for someone to save it.
It is a frightening sequence of deception and lies which will be deeply harmful and ruinous in the final settlement negotiations.
in addition to this, the Palestinian Authority has followed a horniying policy of corruption. trading of the homeland for the afluence of people. the Osto the corrupted in the Palestinian Authority.
The presidens of the PNA has widely opened the doors for oportunists to spread corruption throughout the Palestinian comEconomic conditions have deteriorated, community relations have weakened and moral and ethical standards have loosened. Health, education and judiciary instrutons The danger bell must sound in every village.
city and refugee camp, in every bend and corner, and even In every shop, house and office.
The homeland is being sold and the people are being let down and crushed et us stand together against this tyranny The injustice can only be ah couton.
stopped by the collective efforts of the deprived. And the oppressor can only be stopped by the tenacity of believers in change. Roland Rance ASSASSINATED Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the architect of the Oslo agreement. when he explained his support for transferring policing of the pation from the israeli army to the PLO. would be able to control the Palestinians because he would the High Court (which had ensured a modicum of respect the human rights groups (which had strueged to ensure that human rights were respected despite the military ocupation). the Palestinian Authority, in alliance with its Israeli and US sponsors, is admirably fuilling the role which Rabin allocated rights organisations which previously worked to expose the now devote an increasing proportion of their time to opposing the offences of the PA.
Under pressure from Israel, the pi has harassed ardi repressed Islamist and leftist groups showing litte regard for any Linus. rights workers and jouralists have also suffered from the arbiindependent Palestinian secunty In many cases, the Palestinian courts have ordered the release of people arbitrarity arrested but the prisoners remain in prison.
The Attorney General resigned over 18 months aso. in protest at the refusal of security forces to carry out tus orders In 1997, the Palestinian LegIslative Council (PLC) called for the resignation of all of Arafat's ministers, following an investigation into corruption; none has civil abound; it has become clear that many officiais see the PA as a temporary money-making scam rather than a state-inwaiting.
Palace
At the pinnacie of this system in Gaza and his slush fund in an Israeli bank. Ironically, this fund, It's not just the Inaeli Zionists who are denying Palestinians democratic rights based on a levy on all goods entering or leaving the PA areas. has been set up in order to enable Arafat, if expelled by the Palestinian masses, to set up an exile and to wage a struggle to retum.
Popular discontent at this situation come to a head at the end of November, with the publication of a declaration by twenty prominent Palestinian leftists academics and political activists, including nine members of the PLC.
Other signatories included Bassam Shaka'a, former mayor of step toward diverting the struggle for DEMOLITIONS DEMOLISH
• Settle ments do not meet