PERMANENT OBSERVER MISSION OF PALESTINE TO THE UNITED NATIONS
115EAST 65TH SI. NEW YORK 10021 NY T E L 2 12 B B 5 O O B FAJ,212 2377 517

Message from H.E. President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organizstion President of the Palestinian National Authority On the occasion of The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 29 November 2005 (Original: Arabic. Checkagainst delivery.) H.E. Ambassador PaulBadji, Chairman the Committee the Exercise the Inalienable of on of Rightsof thePalestinian People, H.E. The secretary-General of.theUnitedNations, Mr. Kofi Annan, H.E. The President the 60thSession the United NationsGeneralAssembly, of of Mr. Jan Eliasson, H.E. ThePresident the Security of council, Mr. AndreDenisov. Ladies andGentlemen.

We meettodaywith all the defenders international of legitimacy the principles and of justice and peaceto commemorate togetherthe International Day of Solida.ity*itn tn. Palestinian peopleand with their nationalinalienable rightsto freedomand indipendence, andto rejectthe policiesof injustice, domination occupation. and Annually on this day, the Palestinian peoplereceivea message from the world, reaffirmingto them that they are not alonein their struggle achieve to their legitimaterights, which areguaranteed international by legitimacy, aresupported all wht represent and by the conscience the world, believein such lofty principlesand rights and defendthem, and of insiston endingthe suffering historicinjustice and thathasbefallen Palestinian the people. On this occasion, allow me to conveymy gratitudeand deep appreciation the to Secretary-General the United Nations,Mr. Kofi Annan,and to tvti. paut Badji and his of respected colleagues, members the Bureau,and to all the Members the Committee of of on the Exerciseof the InalienableRightsof the Palestinian People for the genuineeffortsthey havebeenexertingto promotethe realization the Palestiniinpeopleoftheir rights. by

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LadiesandGentlemen. Our causehasgonethroughmany difficultiesand significantchanges sincethe day in 1977that the UnitedNationsGeneral Assembly designated2g November the international as day of solidaritywith the Palestinian people. Sincethen,the peace process was launched at the Madrid Conference, which led to the signingof the Declaration Principlesfor the of interim period and revivedthe hopesof our peopleand the peoplesof the region for the establishment peace stability. of and During theseyears,the Palestinian peoplecontinued their just struggle achieve to their freedomand independence all Statesrejectingoccupation and and oppression have stoodwith andsupported power,to them.These States havecalleduponIsrael,the occupying end its occupation to respect inalienable and the rightsof the Palestinian people, particular in their right to self-determination the establishment their independent and of Stateon the territoryoccupied 1967,with EastJerusalem its capital,and to find a just and agreedin as uponsolutionfor the plight of the refugees, based resolution on 194. However,the peace process, despite humbleachievements were achieved the that at the start,hassuffered repeated setbacks a resultof the Israelioccupation its measures as and for Israelrefuses implement resolutions international andthe RoadMup, under to the of law variouspretexts falseexcuses, continues deprive Palestinian and and to the peoplefrom their legitimaterights. The construction the Wall of annexation of and separation continues, despitethe Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justiceof 9 July 2004,which declaredthe Wall to be unlawful, and which the international communityfollowed with resolution ES-10/15 20 July20A4, on condemning Wall andcallinguponIsraelto comply the with its legalobligations calledfor in the Advisoryopinion. as In this samecontexto Israelhascontinued policyof confiscating its Palestinian to land build settlements. EastJerusalem, capitalof Palestine, beingisolated the is from the restof the Palestinian land and beingsurrounded walls on all sidesand its geographic by character and naturecontinues be altered, institutions to its remainclosed andthe identityof its people continues be stolenundervariouspretexts. Israelalso continues detainthousands to to of prisoners its prisons.And, the peace in process the RoadMup, which waswelcomed and by entire international communityand was endorsed the SecurityCouncil in its resolution by 15l5 (2003),andthe final status negotiations all havebeenunderthe controlof the will of Israel,the occupying Power,andits expansionist plansat the expense the legitimate of rights of the Palestinian people.Thishascontinued addition the useof all kindsof oppression, in to including killings,assassinations, arrests, homedemolitions, uprooting trees, of desiruction of livelihoods,destruction infrastructure, of impositionof closuresand siegeon our cities, villagesand campsand their isolatingand transformation isolated into cantons and prisons for hundreds thousands people,and the violationof all forms of international of of iaw. in particularinternational humanitarian andthe humanrightslaw. law

LadiesandGentlemen. Underthesecircumstances, manysignificant developments particularly occurred, the Israeli withdrawal from within the GazaStrip. This development took place after our late President Yasser Arafat planted seeds independence freedom the of and andcameas a result of the struggle steadfastness our peopleaswell asa resultof your continuing and of support. Despitethe unilateralnatureof this move and our deepconcerns that it has been carriedout in the frameworkof deepening expanding colonization the WestBank, and the in includingEastJerusalem, the imposition unilateral and of solutions concept the "State and of with provisional borders", are still dealing we with the situation a positivemanner in andwe still strive to transformthe withdrawalfrom within Gazato an opportunityto return to the negotiation tableandto beginthe resolution all final status of issues, based the resolutions on of international law. The agreement andthe openingof the Rafahcrossing had an importantimpact on has for our people,for it constitutes link for the GazaStrip with the Arab world and the entire a world. It is also a stepforwardto the unity and linkageof the Palestinian territorytowards the realization the independent, of contiguous viablePalestinian and State, with its heartEast Jerusalem. this regard, wish to express, the nameof the Palestinian In I in peopleandtheir leadership, my deep gratitudeto all those who exertedefforts for and contributedto the conclusion this agreement. of In this context,the Palestinian NationalAuthority initiated- before,during and after the Israeli withdrawalfrom within Gaza,efforts aimedat maintaining public securityand orderand imposingthe rule of law in orderto providesecurityfor the citizensandto improve the economicsituationand encourage investment. This is being done in addition to process, continuing effortsto enhance democratic the which began with the elections will and be followedby the Palestinian Legislative Councilelections the end of January at 2006,and which aim at layingthe foundations politicalpluralism, for based law. on peaceand negotiations the path to reaching just We, in Palestine, havechosen as a peace and achieving our legitimate objectives of freedom and and comprehensive independence self-determination accordance and in with international and as definedin law the RoadMap planandthe visionof President Bush. And, our hands remainoutstretched for peace. LadiesandGentlemen. The United Nationshas playeda centralrole in the life of the Palestinian people. Sinceits establishment, UnitedNationshas shouldered responsibility the its with regardto this cause until it the achievement a just and comprehensive of solutionin all aspects. And, over the many years,the United Nationshas exertedefforts to preserve and safeguard their rights, and it has always been the sourceof the legal and just basis for resolvingthe Palestinian issue.For this reason, can only conveythe gratitude I and appreciation our of people for this historic and importantrole in affirming our legitimatenational rights, especially duringthe lastfew years.

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On this day whole world stands against injustice and occupation, it is proof that and the conscience the world is aliveandthat its eyesseethe tragedy the people Palestine of of of as well as their right to freedom, independence establishment their independent and of State, with EastJerusalem its capital. as Peacecannot be achieved,and freedom cannot see the light under occupation, domination the denialof rights. and May Peace uponyou andthe mercyandblessings God. be of Signed: MahmoudAbbas(Abu Mazen) Chairman the Executive of Committee the Palestine of Liberation Organization President the Palestinian of NationalAuthority