RAMALLAH, Monday, November 13, 2023 (WAFA) – Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said today that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people wherever they are.
On the eve of the 35th anniversary of the declaration of the independence of the State of Palestine, Abu Rudeineh reiterated that the PLO is also the independent national decision maker.
He added that the PLO, which was established in 1964, was able to unite the Palestinian people under its umbrella and strengthen their Palestinian national identity, embody the independent Palestinian entity, and return the Palestinian issue to the center of attention of the international community.
The PLO turned the issue of the Palestinian people from a refugee issue to an issue of national liberation for freedom and independence, which crystallized through the National Councils, specifically the session of the National Council held in Algeria in 1988, during which the late President Yasser Arafat announced the declaration of independence of the State of Palestine.
Abu Rudeineh added that all the resolutions of the Arab summits, the first of which was the Rabat summit held in 1974, as well as the resolutions of the United Nations, the summits of the non-aligned countries, and the Islamic summits, all recognized the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
He stressed that attempts by some to cast doubt on Palestinian representation are unacceptable, affirming that it is not acceptable to undermine the PLO’s representation of the Palestinian people as it is an internal issue in which no one is allowed to interfere.
“We also do not interfere in anyone’s internal affairs. the PLO and its institutions are the independent Palestinian national decision-makers, which we will remain committed to, regardless of the challenges,” the spokesman said.
Abu Rudeineh pointed out that the PLO achieved the State of Palestine’s recognition by more than 145 countries.
He affirmed that implementing the vision of a two-state solution based on international legitimacy resolutions, in accordance with Resolution 1515 of the United Nations Security Council and Resolution 19/67 of the United Nations General Assembly, confirmed that the PLO Executive Committee, in accordance with the resolutions of the Palestinian National Council, was entrusted with the tasks and authorities of the government of the State of Palestine.
Additionally, the Arab Peace Initiative, which has become one of the established terms of reference to establish the state of Palestine, has also recognized the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestinian people, he said.
The spokesman stressed that the legitimacy of the PLO is what preserves the Palestinian national project, Jerusalem and its sanctities.
He stressed that the PLO has the unifying national identity of the Palestinian people, as the organization includes all factions of Palestinian national action, adding that its doors are open to all Palestinian factions, forces and personalities to join it, in accordance with its political program and international obligations.
“The Palestinian people fought for many years under the banner of the PLO. The PLO achieved national steadfastness and great achievements in all arenas, provided thousands of martyrs, wounded, and heroic prisoners, and undermined all suspicious projects that aimed to evade the issue of Jerusalem and its sanctities, as well as the establishment of a state with temporary borders, or the alternative homeland, the latest of which is the Trump deal,” Abu Rudeineh said.
“We cannot forget that the PLO, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, has achieved broad international recognition of the State of Palestine in the United Nations, its organizations and treaties, and raised the flag of the State of Palestine on its headquarters,” he affirmed.
He stressed that any violation of these constants serves the plans that aim to destroy the Palestinian national project, especially since this is taking place amid a comprehensive, devastating war launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem.
He emphasized the position of the leadership of the PLO and the national councils that represent 15 million Palestinians around the world, that the red lines that cannot be crossed, and which are considered among the constants of the Palestinian people, are that Jerusalem, with its sanctities, is the capital of the Palestinian state, and that the PLO is the only legitimate representative for the Palestinian people.
