The Israel-Arab Reader

by Walter Laqueur

  20.—As soon as possible, but not later than the third year after the establishment of the self-rule, negotiations for a permanent solution shall begin. During the whole period of these negotiations until the signing of the agreement for a permanent solution, the self-rule shall continue in effect as determined in the negotiations for an interim agreement.

  Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak: Ten-Point Plan (September 4, 1989)

  1. —The necessity for the participation of all citizens of the West Bank and Gaza (including the residents of East Jerusalem) in the elections both in the voting and in the right to stand as a candidate for any person who has not been convicted by a court of committing a crime. This allows for the participation of those under administrative detention.

  2. —Freedom to campaign before and during the elections.

  3. —Acceptance of international supervision of the election process.

  4. —Prior commitment of the government of Israel that it will accept the results of the elections.

  5. —Commitment of the government of Israel that the elections will be part of the efforts which will lead not only to an interim phase, but also to a final settlement and that all efforts from beginning to end will be based on the principles of solution according to the U.S. conception, namely resolutions 242 and 338, territory for peace, insuring the security of all the states of the region including Israel, and Palestinian political rights.

  6. —Withdrawal of the Israeli army during the election process at least one kilometer outside the perimeters of the polling stations.

  7. —Prohibition of Israelis from entering the West Bank and Gaza on election day with permission to enter only for those who work there and the residents of the settlements.

  8. —The preparatory period for the elections should not exceed two months. These preparations shall be undertaken by a joint Israeli-Palestinian committee. (The U.S. and Egypt may assist in forming this committee).

  9. —Guarantee by the U.S. of all the above points together with a prior declaration to that effect on the part of the government of Israel.

  10. —A halt to settlement.

  PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat: Speech on the Intifada (September 1989)

  In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate. So lose not heart, nor fall into despair: For ye must gain mastery if ye are true in faith. If a wound hath touched you, be sure a similar wound hath touched the others. Such days (for varying fortunes) we give to men and men by turns: That God may know that those believe, and that He may take to Himself from your ranks martyr-witnesses (to truth). And God loveth not those who do wrong.

  O the great masses of our Palestinian people, O the epic of the brave intifada[uprising] on the soil of the homeland, O steadfast heroes in the camps and on the borders of the homeland, O struggles in every field of struggle inside and outside the beloved homeland, victory is yours, as you are making your dear sacrifices on the path of national independence. Freedom and victory are yours as you daily create events of unique heroism and distinguished experience for your giant intifada, which has occupied its lofty peak since its first waves in the history of mankind as a major landmark and a new contribution to the experience of peoples struggling against the forces of colonialism, Zionism, racism, coercion, and injustice.

  O women of my country; O heroes of my country; O brave and heroic youths and men of my country; you continue the march with more resolution and stronger will as you are entering the 22d month of the sacred stones intifada. Despite all repressive and terrorist attempts and despite the great sacrifices, you have continued—with legendary courage—to raise the banner of resistance. And, with your stones, you are pounding the structure of the transient occupation and building our forthcoming Palestinian state, making the certain date of independence and freedom nearer for our people. Who in the world, beloved ones, could have believed or predicted—in those days of January 1987—that the intifada would continue and escalate? Who in the world was ready to admit our people’s great ability to continue the march to achieve the goal which we will not relinquish, the goal of independence, freedom, and victory. Many people refused to believe our signs. Many people were not interested in our talk about the escalating volcano inside and outside the homeland. Many people were also not interested in our talk about the gathering storm throughout the region. Then the intifada came, the intifada came so that we could storm the walls of the world’s conscience. Its news also reached every house around the world and our people’s cause has recorded its shining and prominent regional and international presence. The phoenix has set out each day to occupy new positions, which would not have existed without the great sacrifices and the procession of martyrs who fill the path of heroism and glory—the path of the dear sons and righteous beloved ones. This is in addition to the sacrifices and heroism of our wounded, prisoners, and detainees that emerged through this mammoth popular momentum of the great people of the intifada, through their inspiring legendary steadfastness, and through this firmness and resistance of our heroes in the positions of combat and conflict. . . .

  The masses of the blessed intifada were affirming, every moment and in every way before the whole world, that whoever for one moment thinks of the possibility of peddling the settlement project, which does not provide for our people’s firm and national rights, is dreaming and cannot read the revolutionary reality or know the revolutionary will of our people. They do not know how to observe the current course of history flowing to the delta of liberty and independence.

  They are still haunted by the ghosts and delusions of the old eras of occupation, control, and expansion. These delusions are extinct and the blessed stones of our women, children, and men are now declaring the end of these extinct delusions. Nay, this forces many of these deluded to recognize the impossibility of torpedoing the unity of the Palestinian stand which manifests a unique example of the revolutionary world march through creating splits and divisions in its ranks, casting doubts, or liquidation. This is a great revolutionary example of unity and revolutionary cohesion. . . .

  O masses of the blessed intifada; O heroes of the stones and songs; O courageous strike forces; O you steadfast people in every location: The fascist occupation have been trying—since the outbreak of the intifada—to impose a media blackout on the intifada activities to prevent the arrival of your brave voice to world conscience and to prevent the exposure of their racist crimes and crazy terrorism. However, despite all their repressive measures, the Palestinian blood has infiltrated the siege while the Palestinian shout reached the heart and conscience of the world.

  You, courageous heroes, knew that confronting the campaigns of siege and news blackout will escalate the defiance and steadfastnes and with more jihad and struggle that are entrenched on the ground in the form of daily effective blows which had their effect in shaking and shattering the authority and might of the enemy. The power of the people, the power of the intifada and the power of revolution, which has been entrenched by Qawim, will emerge along with our broad, believing masses, the effectiveness of the popular committees, and the activities of the strike forces. This power has also been entrenched by this accurate popular organization that has gathered all factions of our people and forces in the crucible of a firm national unity to entrench the foundations of national independence. In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate: God truly loves those who fight in his cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure.

  Hence, my brothers, your boycott of Israeli goods has succeeded, and your organized strikes have affected labor in Israeli concerns and the enemy’s labor activity and economy. The national agricultural, industrial, and vocational projects have succeeded in supporting the national and local production and in bolstering the home economy. Therefore, we have to work actively and confidently to promote national institutions and all their projects, to support national production, and to boost family economy. We should also work toward expanding the activity of mass institutions, specialized c
ommittees, popular education, national media, and others. In addition, we should concentrate on mass education and establishing well-being committees to solve the problems of peoples, and there are many problems.

  Revolutionary discipline should also be practiced to prevent the negative aspects and crush deviations, because the enemy will try to push his secret agents among us to intensify these negative points and deviations in order to make people hate the march and to distract them from their blessed intifada. So, you are urged to show more and more revolutionary discipline, more and more fight against anarchy, and more and more serious work to end the negative aspects and increase the positive ones.

  No revolution can emerge victorious unless supported by its masses, and no militant march can continue without sound revolutionary discipline. It cannot continue without bolstering the unity of its ranks, commitment to the calls of the Unified National Leadership, supporting the structure of the popular committees, and firmly confronting all attempts to create divisions, especially in the way of dealing with the sons of our people who lost their way and fell in the trap of the enemy. We should push them toward repentance, first, second, and third; “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” Otherwise we will fall in the trap that our enemy is making for us, as happened to the revolution of 1936. I therefore appeal to you to commit yourselves to this fraternal and revolutionary policy; “Strong against unbelievers, (but) compassionate among each other” [part of Koranic verse]. I also appeal to you to be alert against falsehoods against the march of the intifada and the discipline of the masses, which make a unified whole. Hence came the orientation not to issue statements in the names of the various frameworks of the intifada and its unified strike force. This was a clear reference to the statements issued to disintegrate and undermine the firmness of the intifada and its unified strike forces, which are remote from organizational bragging and nonsense. We all have the heart of one man. In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate: Our Lord, decide thou between us and our people in truth, for thou art the best to decide.

  We realize, my beloved brothers, that this great revolutionary achievement, which is daily being entrenched on the ground, exasperates the fascist occupiers, who fully understand its significance and essence. They, therefore, intensify their terrorist campaigns and attempts to infiltrate our ranks, confuse our minds, and undermine our unity. They declare the war of murder in cold blood; they also declare the war of starvation, blockade, and detention in an unsuccessful attempt to crush the blessed intifada. “Fain would they extinguish God’s light with their mouths, but God will not allow but that His light should be perfected, even though the unbelievers may detest (it).”

  By this, they prove their failure to learn the lesson and absorb the bright fact. This intifada will continue, continue, with God’s help, despite all difficulties, wave after wave, until the hateful Israeli occupation of our land and sacred places is ended. There are endless queues of heroes proceeding one after the other to receive the banner whenever a struggler falls or another is imprisoned in occupation jails.

  O courageous people of the intifada, O hero strugglers of the Unified National Leadership, popular committees, and strike force. O strugglers of mass institutions—women, youths, students, workers, peasants, professionals, vocationalists, academicians, landowners, farmers, and, especially, the cubs of the revolution: O captive heroes, makers of the epic of steadfastness in prisons; our valiant wounded, who lift the banners of triumph over your wounds; O steadfast people in all positions of struggle in the homeland and abroad; O masses of the great Arab nation: Our intifada today enters its 22d month with full confidence in the inevitability of victory, God willing. Freedom has never been so near and within reach as it seems to us now. It needs the efforts of friends, support of brothers, and sacrifices of revolutionaries. After we imposed our existence on the political map, it is inevitable that we impose it on the geographical map. Let us boost the unity of our ranks and the cohesion of our front. Unity, unity among all, among our broad masses, all our organizations—Hamas, Fatah, the Popular Front [for the Liberation of Palestine], the Democratic Front [for the Liberation of Palestine], the Jihad, the communists, the [Palestinian Popular] Struggle Front, the Palestinian Front, and all and trade unions, popular forces and the institutions—all united in one framework. Let us affirm strong commitment to the calls of the Unified National Leadership of the intifada, and escalate the war of the sacred stones with utmost vigor and strength, and let the strike forces escalate their struggle with firmness and solidity against the occupiers, all of whose weapons cannot conceal their political and historical crisis. Your intifada is continuing until the state is established, and your steadfastness will continue until victory is achieved. The state is within a stone’s throw, the victory is coming, and our Palestinian flag will be raised, God willing, over Jerusalem, the capital of our city, the first of the two qiplas [direction in which Muslims position themselves during prayer—Jerusalem and Mecca] and the third sacred shrines, the birthplace of the Messiah and the city to where Prophet Muhammad made his night journey. In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate: “And another (favor will He bestow, which ye do love—help from God and a speedy victory. So give the glad tidings to the believers.”

  U.S. Secretary of State James Baker: Five-Point Plan (October 10, 1989)

  1. —The United States understands that because Egypt and Israel have been working hard on the peace process, there is agreement that an Israeli delegation should conduct a dialogue with a Palestinian delegation in Cairo.

  2. —The United States understands that Egypt cannot substitute itself for the Palestinians and Egypt will consult with Palestinians on all aspects of that dialogue. Egypt will also consult with Israel and the United States.

  3. —The United States understands that Israel will attend the dialogue only after a satisfactory list of Palestinians has been worked out.

  4. —The United States understands that the Government of Israel will come to the dialogue on the basis of the Israeli Government’s May 14 initiative. The United States further understands that Palestinians will come to the dialogue prepared to discuss elections and the negotiating process in accordance with Israel’s initiative. The U.S. understands, therefore, that Palestinians would be free to raise issues that relate to their opinions on how to make elections and the negotiating process succeed.

  5. —In order to facilitate this process, the U.S. proposes that the Foreign Ministers of Israel, Egypt, and the U.S. meet in Washington within two weeks.

  Iraqi President Saddam Hussein: Speech to the Arab Cooperation Council (February 1990)

  We Arabs, Iraqis included, have a habit of either underrating or overrating our power. I believe that through cooperation among ourselves and the prevalence of a brotherly spirit, we will reach a way of thinking that will prevent us from overestimating ourselves to the point of delirium, or underestimating ourselves to the point of missing our chance to play an influential role.

  The Arabs possess an extraordinary ability to accelerate the creation of an international balance because, in addition to the known traditional elements including the known strategic elements involving the region’s geography and their influence, there is an additional element: the possession of an energy source unparalleled in the world. All the major influential powers are affected by this, be it the United States, Japan, or Europe, or even the Soviet Union. Consequently, when Arab influence, by virtue of this extra element, reaches this point, then we can speed up the creation of a balance that at least does not make Arab interests vulnerable. . . .

  The Arabs should not only settle their differences, but also organize their course of action by adopting positive steps. The more their course is organized through positive action, the more their influence will be. But, if we concern ourselves only with extinguishing fires, we will lose much of our energy inasmuch as we will be handicapped and unable to move forward.

  Praise be to God, we hope that t
he new spirit in the Arab League will bring about leaders’ meetings and other meetings and produce fraternal co-operation at the level of the three groupings—the Arab Maghreb Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the ACC. All these are positive signs. At the same time, our enemies will take the positive steps we announce into their calculations of the balances of power. They will take into account that behind every statement we make there is real action they have to deal with. They will assume that we mean what we say. When we do not translate what we say we will be the losers because our enemy will be aware that we are only making statements and not taking action.

  What draws attention in the Americans’ behavior is the quick appearance of the spirit of unilateralism although the international imbalance is not old. An example of this is encouraging Jewish emigration, particularly Soviet Jewish immigration to the occupied territory, although the declared U.S. position is that it works for peace and that it is in touch with Egypt and the Palestinians on the basis that it wants to establish peace. Would someone who wants to achieve peace act this way? It is a superpower and it has become the first-ranking superpower, while the USSR, as a superpower, is undergoing a series of changes. In addition to this, we have taken note of U.S. statements on the Gulf and the assertions that the Israelis can use weapons stored in Israel. None of these signs is good.

  In case of danger, there are always early signs. Israel always takes international changes and their effect into consideration. Israel has never lost an opportunity to take advantage of the atmosphere of change. Since the establishment of Israel—and even before it was established when it opened contacts with the Ottoman Empire and until the Balfour Declaration—the Jews who believe in the establishment of the State of Israel have always exploited opportunities. We must expect Israel to exploit the opportunity resulting from the current changes in the world.