Portland observer., June 10, 1982, Page 2, Image 2

Page 2 Portland Observer, June 10, 1982
What is the Palestine Liberation Organization?
P a le s tin ia n s . M o r e im p o r t a n t , it
(E d ito r ’s note: Israel has invaded
so u th ern L e b a n o n in an a p p a re n t
e ffo rt to elim inate the P L O .)
o rg a n iz e d n a tio n a l an d p o litic a l
institutions to articu late the intense
n a tio n a l
consciousness
and
aspirations o f the Palestinians. T he
P L O rapidly established its status as
the “ fu n ctio n al representative” o f
Palestine, in the forced absence o f a
h om elan d w ere n o rm a l dem ocracy
coulc be practiced.
P alestin e is a c o u n try u n iq u e in
many respects. It is an ancient land
where much o f m a n k in d 's earliest
history u n fo ld e d . It is a holy land
revered by the w o r ld ’s th re e great
monotheistic religions — C hristian-
tiy, Islam and Judaism.
But P alestine is also unique in a
third and tragic sense. It is the only
c o u n try in m o d e rn tim es to be
c o lo n ize d ju s t w h en th e age o f
c o lo n ia lis m was a t an e n d , and
whose people were illegally deprived
o f a ll n a tio n a l rig h ts w h en s e lf-
d eterm in atio n had become the rule
fo r the rest o f the world.
Yet Palestine remains a country in
the m inds o f p e o p le a ro u n d the
globe. T he P alestin ian s, altho u g h
e x ile d , dispersed and liv in g under
harsh Israeli rule, endure as a people
with clear national goals.
W ith the P a le s tin ia n h o m e la n d
c o m p le te ly ta k e n o v e r by Is r a e l,
m any Palestinians live under harsh
m ilita r y o c c u p a tio n in th e W est
Bank and G aza, w hile m any others
have been displaced.
T h e re are m o re th a n 4 m illio n
P a le s tin ia n s . T h e m a jo r ity s till
reside in the M id d le East, either in
occupied Palestine or in the neigh­
boring A rab states.
A homeland for the Jaws
a t th e b e g in n in g o f th e 2 0 th
century, Palestine was inhabited by
P a le s tin ia n s o f a ll th re e fa ith s .
P a le s tin e , lik e m ost o f th e o th e r
A ra b c o u n trie s , had been u nd er
c o n tin u e o u s O tto m a n ru le since
1517. D u r in g W o r ld W a r I , the
p eo p le o f P a le s tin e an d o f o th e r
A ra b c o u n trie s rose a g a in s t the
O tto m a n
ru le rs
to
ach ieve
in d e p e n d e n c e . B u t in 191 6 , th e
B ritis h and F re n c h co ncluded the
secret S y k e s -P ic o t a g re e m e n t,
d iv id in g the M id d le E ast in to
spheres o f influence. The agreement
gave the French co n tro l over Syria
an d L e b a n o n . T ra n s -J o rd a n and
Palestine were reserved fo r B ritian.
Follow ing the victory o f the A llies,
some o f the fo rm er subject peoples
o f the O ttom an empire, particularly
the A ra b s , fo u nd themselves under
new fo re ig n ru le rs w h o im po sed
th e ir w ill th o ru g h th e M a n d a te
system o f the Leagu e o f N a tio n s .
T h e a im o f th e m an d ates was to
p ro v id e a d m in is tra tiv e assistance
an d a d v ic e to the n e w ly lib e ra te d
people to prepare them fo r indepen­
dence.
T h e Z io n is ts , led by T h e o d o r
H e r z l an d C h a im W e iz m a n n ,
persuaded the B ritish th at the way
to save the “ Jewish p eo p le” fro m
p ers e c u tio n was to estab lish a
natio n al and ¡dependent hom eland
fo r them in P a le s tin e . In 1917,
B ritis h F o re ig n S e c re ta ry L o rd
B alfour secured a British promise o f
assistance fo r the Z io n ists in th e ir
e f f o r t to estab lish a Jew ish
h o m elan d in P a le s tin e , in spite o f
the fact that the country was already
inhabited.
The State of Israel
For the indigenous population o f
Palestine, the sudden and d ram atic
flo w o f im m ig ra n ts b e fo re and
d u rin g the S econd W o r ld W a r
b ro u g h t u n d u e h a rd s h ip and
c u ltu ra l s tra in as th e ir la n d was
ta k e n o v e r by fo re ig n e rs . T h e
P a le s tin ia n s re v o lte d , u n a b le to
accept the perverse logic th a t they
should
be
dispossessed
to
co m p ensate
fo r
crim es
th a t
E uropeans had c o m m itte d against
E u ro p e a n Jew s. T h e Z io n is ts ,
determ ined to take o ver P alestin e,
used th e ir p a r a m ilita r y fo rc e ,
know n as the H a g a n a h , as w ell as
the Irgun and Stern gangs, in large-
scale terrorist attacks against Pales­
tinians.
P a le s tin e , the H o ly L a n d , and
J e ru s a le m , th e C it y o f P eace,
became a battleground. In February
o f 1947, the B ritis h g o v e rn m e n t
turned the Palestine issue over to the
United Nations.
T h e U n ite d N a tio n s a d o p te d a
p a r titio n p la n on N o v e m b e r 29,
1947, c re a tin g tw o states — one
A rab and one Jewish. They were to
achieve so vereig n ty and in d e p e n ­
dence on M ay 15, 1948.
A lthough the A ra b population o f
Palestine was 68.3 per cent in 1947,
the Arabs received less than h a lf the
land area fo r th e ir state (4 2 .9 per
cent). The Jews constituted less than
a th ird o f the p o p u la tio n but were
allocated 5 6.4 per cent o f the land.
T h e re m a in in g 7 per cent was
reserved fo r Jerusalem.
T h e P a le s tin ia n s them selves
s tro n g ly opposed the p a rtitio n o f
th eir h om elan d . F u rth e rm o re , the
resolution did not take into account
Government in exile
YASSIR ARAFAT
the expansionist n atu re o f Zio n ism
an d ig n o re d the p rin c ip le o f s e lf-
d e te rm in a tio n . T h e P a le s tin ia n s
c o u ld not a p p ro v e o f th e sem i-
relig io u s basis o f the Is ra e li state
and c o n tin u e to p o in t out the the
resolution is a recommendation only
and thus not obligatory.
O n M a y 14, 1948, Is ra e l p r o ­
claim ed its independence. T h e next
d a y , the A ra b states sent m ilita ry
forces into Palestine to prevent mas­
sacres o f Palestinian civilians. Israel
took control over large areas o f ter­
rito ry a llo te d to the A rab s and ex­
p e lle d
th e
p o p u la tio n .
They
occupied the western h a lf o f Jerusa­
lem.
The w art
T h e 1967 w a r m a rk e d a tu rn in g
point in the on-going conflict. Israel
occupied what was left o f Palestine
— G a z a , the W est B ank an d East
Jerusalem . It also seized the G o lan
H e ig h ts fr o m S y ria and th e S in a i
P e n in s u la fr o m E g y p t. Is r a e li
m ilita ry ru le was established in a ll
the occupied territories.
T h e fo u r th A r a b -Is r a e li w a r in
1973 d id not change the s itu a tio n .
T h e P a le s tin ia n s , u n d e r th e ir
re p re s e n ta tiv e ,
the
P a le s tin e
L ib e ra tio n O rg a n iz a tio n , continue
to s tru g g le to re g a in th e ir lo st
h o m e la n d an d to ex e rc ize th e ir
in alien ab le rights. T h ey are backed
by a stream o f U . N . re s o lu tio n s
a ffir m in g the P a le s tin ia n rig h t to
s e lf-d e te rm in a tio n and c a llin g on
Is ra e l to a llo w th e re tu rn o f the
P alestinian refugees to th eir homes
in Palestine, to w ith d ra w fro m the
o c c u p ie d A r a b te r rito r ie s an d to
cease interference w ith the establish­
ment o f a Palestinian state.
In J u ly 1 9 8 0 , th e E m e rg e n c y
Special Session on the Q uestion o f
Palestine unanimously affirm ed in a
re s o lu tio n th e rig h t o f th e P a le s ­
tin ia n p e o p le to re tu rn to th e ir
hom es and p ro p e rty in P a le s tin e ,
th e rig h t to s e lf-d e te rm in a tio n
w ith o u t e x te rn a l in te rfe re n c e , to
n a tio n a l
in d ep en d en ce
and
s o v e re ig n ty in P a le s tin e ,a n d th e
right to establish their own indepen­
dent, sovereign state in Palestine.
The PLO
A lth o ug h geographically scatter­
ed th e P a le s tin ia n s are u n ite d
p o litic a lly under the leadership o f
the Palestine L ib e ra tio n O rg a n iz a ­
tion.
The
PLO
is
n ow
w id e ly
reco g nized , in W estern E u ro p e as
w e ll as in the T h ird W o r ld , as the
sole legitim ate representative o f the
Palestinian people.
T h e P L O has been acc o rd e d
o b server status a t th e U n ite d
N a tio n s , g ra n te d m e m b e rs h ip in
m an y in te rn a tio n a l o rg a n iz a tio n s
an d m a in ta in s o ffic e s in several
world capitals.
T h e P L O was e s ta b lis h e d as a
d ire c t result o f Is r a e l’ s re fu s a l to
ab id e by in te rn a tio n a l law and its
rejectio n o f a ll U N resolutions on
P a le s tin ia n rig h ts . In the e a rly
stages o f th e ir s tru g g le , th e
P a le s tin ia n s
re lie d
on
UN
R e s o lu tio n 194 w h ich c a lle d fo r
re p a tria tio n a n d /o r com pensation
by Israel. When it was clear that the
Jewish state would not com ply, the
Palestinians began to organize.
Soon after the 1956 Suez W a r, the
P a le s tin e N a tio n a l L ib e ra tio n
M o v e m e n t ( F A T A H ) and o th e r
P a le s tin ia n g ro up s em erged and
began to d e v e lo p a p o litic a l
p h ilo s o p h y . T h e id e a o f a rm e d
s trug g le, s a fe g u a rd e d by the U N
C h a r te r an d th e D e c la ra tio n o f
H u m a n R ig h ts , g ain ed g ro u n d ,
le a d in g to th e fo r m a tio n o f the
P alestine L ib e ra tio n O rg a n iz a tio n
in 1964 and a Palestinian arm y.
the P L O provided leadership and
d ire c tio n to th e strug g le o f the
F o llo w in g th e 1967 w a r, P L O
lead ers c o o rd in a te d p olic ie s w ith
activists and com m ando groups and
en c o u ra g e d
the
in s titu tio n a l
development o f the P L O itself.
T h e P alestin e N a tio n a l C o u n c il
passed reso lu tio ns se p a ra tin g the
legislative and executive branches
and providing for the election o f the
Executive C om m ittee, which in turn
elected the C h airm an . In February,
196 9 , Yasser A r a fa t was elected
C hairm an.
T he 12th Session o f the Palestine
The
P a le s tin ia n
N a tio n a l
C o u n c il, th e e q u iv a le n t o f a
n a tio n a l p a rlia m e n t, is the highest
authority w ithin the P L O and is the
supreme body fo rm u la tin g policies
an d p ro g ra m s . Its m em bers are
n o m in a te d by a c o m m itte e o f the
preceeding C ou n cil, a fte r consulta­
tio n w ith the p o lit ic a l, la b o r an d
p ro fe s s io n a l o rg a n iz a tio n s an d
le a d in g
in d iv id u a ls .
The
C o u n c il m e m b e rs h ip m irro rs the
b ro a d sp ectru m o f P a le s tin ia n
th o u g h t and o p in io n , seeking to
represent as w id e a d is trib u tio n o f
P alestinian parties and individuals
as p o s s ib le . T e rm o f o ffic e is
restricted to tw o years. The Council
meets reg u larly in o rd in a ry session
u po n the request o f the E x e c u tiv e
C o m m itte e o r o n e -fo u r th o f its
m e m b e rs.
T w o -th ir d s
o f the
m em bers fo rm a q u o ru m and
decisions a re ta k e n by s im p le
m ajority.
T h e C e n tra l C o u n c il, w ith
members d raw n fro m the N a tio n a l
C ouncil, follows up and implements
its resolutions. T h e P L O E xecutive
C o m m itte e , w h ic h serves as the
C a b in e t, derives its m em berships
fro m selectons m ad e by the
N ational C ouncil. It is in permanent
session and its members w o rk on a
fu ll-tim e basis. T h e C o m m itte e
represents th e P a le s tin ia n p eo p le
o ffic ia lly and supervises the various
bodies o f the P L O (foreig n a ffa irs ,
in fo rm atio n , culture, defense, etc.).
It issues d ire c tiv e s , d raw s up p ro ­
grams and makes decisions on the
o rg an izatio n . It executes the fin a n ­
cial policy and prepares the budget.
W hat is a man worth
If he has no homeland
And he has no flag
And no address?
W hat good is a man?
-Mahmoud Darweesh
T h e P a le s tin e N a tio n a l F u n d
coordinates revenue and provides a
budget fo r social, e d u c a tio n a l and
hum anitarian needs o f all P alestini­
ans, whether they live under occupa­
tion or elsewhere in the world.
PLO services
T h e P L O has e s ta b lis h e d 30
h o s p ita ls an d 30 c lin ic s , tra in s
h ealth inspectors, provides health
e d u c a tio n , an d p ro v id e s social
services. M e d ic a l and social servies
are a v a ila b le to a n y o n e in need,
regardless o f nationality or religion.
P ro fessio n al tra in in g includes tw o
nursing schools, secretarial, sewing
and handcraft schools.
W orkshops train orphans as well
as p ro d u c e c lo th in g , b la n k e ts ,
handicrafts, and fo lk art.
P a le s tin ia n s p lace a stron g
em phasis on e d u c a tio n an d as a
national group, are highly educated.
T h e re a re n u m e ro u s e d u c a tio n a l
program s and activities sponsored
by the P L O for Palestinian studtents
living outside Palestine. G rants are
provided fo r thousands o f students
Gr*«n plain« of Palestine.
c u rre n tly s tu d y in g in W e s te rn
Europe and the U .S . The Education
D e p a rtm e n t also runs p rim a ry ,
secondary and vocational schools.
A place in the world
In ,9 7 4 the U N re c o g n ize d the
P L O as the sole legitim ate represen­
tative o f the Palestinian people and
as a p rin c ip a l p a rty in the
P a le s tin ia n c o n flic t, and gave the
P L O observer status. This enabled
the P L O to p articip ate in all in te r­
national U N agencies.
T o d a y the P L O is recognized by
m o re th a n 1 ,5 c o u n trie s and
m a in t a in s p o l it ic a l - d ip lo m a t i c
o ffic e s in 61 c o u n trie s in c lu d in g
almost a ll o f the A fric a n countries,
a ll Is la m ic co un tries and the n o n -
a lig n e d c o u n trie s . A d d it io n a lly ,
alm ost a ll o f the eastern E uropean
natio n s, S p ain , G reece, M a lta and
Yugoslavia recognize the P L O and
France and Belgium have accorded
it special sta tu s . T h e P L O is
rep resen ted in o th e r W e s te rn
European countries and Japan, and
in the M o v e m e n t o f N o n -A lig n e d
Nations it is a member o f the C o o r­
dinating Bureau.
The physical beauty o f the Pales­
tin ia n landscape has a special
meaning to Palestinians. Palestine
has a unique s p iritu a l significance
th a t extends w e ll b e y o n d its
geographical boundaries. Palestine
is the H o ly Land.
Palestinian history has been filled
w ith p ilg rim s , some in vad ers, and
even m o re v is ito rs . In sp ite o f
n u m e ro u s in c u rs io n s o v e r the
centuries as outsiders came and left,
Palestinians have rem ained on their
land.
*E x c e rp ts r e p rin te d f r o m
Perspectives. ”
A Mb
Vivian Whitley
has a dream.
It’s Anheusei^Busch’s
dream, too.
Vivian W hitley has always done
good work in her community. Giving
people encouragement, helping them
to fight for the things they want. But
Vivian wanted to do more. She had
dreams of being a social worker. She
also had four children to raise. And that
had to take priority.
But Vivian never forgot her dream
And when three o f her four children
were in college. Vivian went to college,
too. On an Anheuser-Busch/Urban
League Community Scholarship. These
scholarships arc for people like Vivian
who had to miss going to college for <me
reason or another. But they don't have
to miss out now. They have a second
chance for an education and a career.
Vivian got her degree. She made
straight As. while working at two to
three jobs and raising a family. Yet she
still found time to use her hard-earned
skills to help the people in her com­
munity, as president of her PTA. as a
teacher in her local church, and as the
first woman chairman of the board of
the Human Development Corp. Today
Vivian is still going to sch<x»l. getting
her master's degree and the credentials
she needs to feel qualified to do the
work she always wanted to do.
Vivian s taking her dream and
making a future. One we can all share in
Anti that's our dream. A future we
can all live with.
Building, a future.
Dream by dream.
ANHHJSf R-BUSCH COMfWMILS
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