RAMALLAH, November 11, 2008 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas laid, Tuesday a wreath of flowers on Late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s Tomb.

On the fourth commemoration of Late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, President Abbas laid a wreath of flowers on his tomb situated in the Palestinian Presidency Headquarters in Ramallah.

In a speech he pronounced in the ceremony on this occasion, he said that President Arafat will remain in the Palestinian memory, a significant symbol and called on Palestinians to work hard to preserve the achievements made until now.

He stated that, “we hold on to Yasser Arafat’s political agenda. We will not accept any resolution that ignores our freedom, our independence, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State.”

President Abbas stressed that the unity of the Palestinian people is the only guarantee to achieve the Palestinian victory, insisting on his commitment to the dialogue and to forming a reconciliation government that breaks the siege on the Palestinian people.

He reaffirmed that there are no political prisoners in the Palestinian National Authority prisons, pointing that Hamas’ claims on this matter are nothing but pretexts to boycott the Palestinian national dialogue. He added that the procrastination policy followed by Israel, is to escape the serious obligations of the peace process.

On the other hand, Yahia Yakhluf, Chairman of The Higher National Committee for the fourth Commemoration of Late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, condemned Hamas decision to forbid Gazans from commemorating late President Arafat, expressing his shock at its simultaneity with Hamas boycotting the Palestinian national dialogue in Cairo. He stated, “we support all Arab and Palestinian efforts exerted in bringing back the Palestinian national unity.”

On his part, Ahmad Al-Teebi, Head of the Arab Movement for Change in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), promised to disrupt the Israeli ambitions to divide the Palestinian people, pointing out late president Arafat and President Abbas positions from foreign policies towards the Palestinian question.

Nasser Al-Qidwa, Chairman of Yasser Arafat Foundation confirmed that Israel, alone, is responsible for the extermination of late President Yasser Arafat, because it besieged him, tried to isolate him, and then made a decision to eliminate him. He denounced Hamas forbidding the commemoration in Gaza, and arresting a Gazan child for hanging President Arafat’s pictures on a wall in his school, while all Palestinians commemorate Yasser Arafat.