For Just Peace on the Basis of Two States: Israel & Palestine

Upon the invitation of the Palestinian People’s Party (PPP) & the
Israeli Communist Party (ICP), an international conference was held in
East Jerusalem during the period 02 - 04 June 2007, to mark the 40th
anniversary of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories,
and the 60th anniversary of the 1947 UN Partition Plan.

Twenty five international delegations and member of parliaments
attended the conference from 12 countries throughout the world:
Norway, Italy, Greece, Portugal, France, Cyprus, Germany, Australia,
Britain, India, Denmark and U.S.A. They represented 20 different
political and social organizations.

On the first day, the delegations had a tour around the Apartheid Wall
being built around Jerusalem and the surrounding neighborhoods. They
met with representatives of popular committees and municipal councils
in the suburbs of Jerusalem. They also met with Israeli peace
activists in West Jerusalem.

On the second day, the delegations headed for Ramallah and visited the
tomb of the late President Yasser Arafat. They also met with the heads
of PLC factions. In the afternoon hours, the delegations had a meeting
with national and social figures in Ramallah, and in the evening
hours, had a tour in East Jerusalem.

On the third day, a closed meeting was held between the delegations
and representatives of the Palestinian People’s Party, the Israeli
Communist Party & the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Lengthy
and deep discussions took place on ways of strengthening and enhancing
solidarity with the Palestinian people and launching an international
campaign with the aim of achieving this ultimate goal.

During the meeting, participants highlighted the importance of holding
such activity at least once a year in Jerusalem, and organizing
similar activities in other countries of the world, including an
international day against the apartheid wall. A joint statement was
issued expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people, and for the
establishment of a just peace based on Israel’s full withdrawal from
the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and full compliance with
the UN resolutions pertaining to the Palestinian territories.

In the afternoon, a general meeting was held at the Notre Dam Hotel in
East Jerusalem. This place was chosen because it is located on the
border line between East and West Jerusalem. Several speeches and
interventions were delivered by national and social figures. The
delegations also had the opportunity to directly address the
Palestinian and Israeli public who was attending the event.

The conference received a large number of letters of regards from
several parties throughout the world.

Following is the full text of the statement:

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Statement

We, participants at the international meeting in Jerusalem, express
our solidarity with the Palestinian people and with all peace loving,
anti-occupation and anti-settlement forces, in Israel and all around
the world, in their struggle for a just Israeli-Palestinian peace
based on ending the occupation and establishing an independent
Palestinian state all over the land occupied in 1967.

We demand that Israel, the U.S.A, the EU, and all states unjustly
besieging Palestine lift their siege immediately. This siege
exacerbates the deteriorating conditions of the Palestinian people,
causes catastrophic effects on the Palestinian economy, deprives
Palestinians of food and medicine, causes mass unemployment and
poverty, and prevents any economic or social development, eventually
destroying the prospect of building an independent Palestinian state.

We strongly support the right of the Palestinian people to elect their
government and all institutions without any external intervention.

We demand all governments in the world to recognize the Palestinian
national unity government maintain normal relations with it and allow
it to function to serve the interests of the Palestinian people.

We reject the plan to establish a Palestinian state within temporary
borders and consider that another destructive effort to postpone the
final agreement that would put an end to Israel’s ongoing occupation
of the Palestinian territories since June 1967.

We stress on the responsibility of the permanent members of the UN
Security Council and other countries to obtain Israel’s implementation
of international law and all UN relevant resolutions.

The Arab Peace Initiative, which has been adopted by all Arab states -
if implemented as it stands, comprises the basic elements of a
comprehensive peace in the Middle East and between Israel and all the
Arab states. We, participants at the international meeting in
Jerusalem, will continue to make every effort to pressure the
government of Israel to negotiate with the PLO in order to achieve a
comprehensive and just peace agreement according to the following
principles:

Ending the Israeli occupation; the complete dismantling of all
settlements; removing the Apartheid Wall; establishing the June 4th,
1967 boundaries as a peaceful border between the state of Israel and
the Palestinian state; East Jerusalem is the capital of the
Palestinian state; the co-existence of the capitals of Israel and
Palestine in Jerusalem; the release of all Palestinian political
prisoners; and a solution to the refugee problem in compliance with
the UN resolution no. (194).

This peace plan has been the historical plan of both the ICP & PPP for
decades. It has also been accepted by the UN, the Arab League, and the
international community. It is a plan, which has not been put into
action so far, in spite of the fact that the principle of a two state
solution was introduced by the UN General Assembly 60 years ago.

This Peace Plan represents the hope for ending repression and the
bloodshed, and the beginning of an era of a lasting peace.

Palestinian People’s Party Palestine

Communist Party of Israel Israel

Communist Party of Greece Greece

Communist Party of India-Marxist India

Communist Refoundation Party Italy

Communist Party of Britain United Kingdom

Communist Party of USA United States

Democratic Social Perspective Australia

European Left Party Europe

French Communist Party France

Party of the Italian Communists Italy

Portuguese Communist Party Portugal

Progressive Party of Working

People—AKEL Cyprus

Red-Green Alliance Denmark

Socialist Left Party Norway

International Organizations

Federation of Greek Women Greece

General Trade Union of India India

Italian Social Movement Italy

Movement of Women- POGO Cyprus

Norwegian association of NGO’s Norway

Portuguese Council for Peace Portugal

World Peace Council

Member of Parliaments

Agot Valle Norwegian
Parliament

Georgios Tousass European Parliament

Jorge Mechado Portuguese
Parliament

Michael Leutert German Parliament

Sitaram Yechuri Indian Parliament

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Palestinian People’s Party

Palestine

Tel: +970-2-2963593

Fax:+970-2-2963592

P.O.Box:20628 Jerusalem

*End*

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