Introduction. Palestine Ministry of Information
The Palestinian National Charter. Palestine Ministryof Information
Initiatives based on the Palestinian National Charter. Palestine Ministry of Information
The Original Palestine National Charter . American-IsraeliCooperative Enterprise (AICE)
Statement of Proclamation of the PalestineLiberation Organization .Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the UN.
Israel-PLO Recognition:Exchange of Letters betweenPM Rabin and Chairman Arafat. Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
After the 1967 defeat and the increase of military fighting activities, thecharter was amended by the Palestinian National Council in its fourth sessionheld between August 10- 17, 1968. After the amendment the charter clauses became23, while some parts were abolished such; as the introduction that preceded thecharter.
This document shows how fake the allegations of the Israeli previousgovernment headed by Netanyahu and media about an alleged Palestinian noncommitment to implement the Palestinian commitments in the peace process.
The Zionist occupation, and the dispersal of the Palestinian Arab people as aresult of the disasters that befell it, do not deprive it from its Palestinianpersonality and affiliation and do not nullify that.
The twelfth session of the Palestinian National Council was held on June 1,1974. The decisions taken in that session reflect the Palestinian reaction tothe developments on the regional and international political arena following theOctober war in 1973. The details of the program are:
Emphasize PLO's stand on the UN resolution 242 as it ignores our national rights and deals with our national issue as a refugees' problem. So dealing in any way with this resolution is rejected, be it on Arab or international level including the Geneva conference.
The PLO uses all means the most important of which is armed struggle in its fight to liberate the Palestinian land and establish the national independent Palestinian authority, on every liberated part from the Palestinian land. Achieving this requires creating a change in the power balance in our nations' favor.
The PLO struggles against any design to create a Palestinian entity in return for recognizing and normalizing relations with Israel and its safe borders, and leads to giving up the Palestinian national rights and depriving our people from their right to return and self-determination on our land.
Any partial liberation is just one part of the realization of PLO's strategy to establish the democratic Palestinian state as decided by the PNC.
Jointly fight with Palestinian - Jordanian front aiming at establishing a Jordanian national democratic role in Jordan that unites with the Palestinian entity that struggles and fights.
The PLO struggles for a strong unity between the two nations and all Arab freedom forces that support this program.
In light of this program, the PLO fights to foster a stronger national unity that should be enhanced to a standard that facilitates for easier execution of its national aims.
After establishing the Palestinian authority, it should struggle for unity between conflict-involved countries, as a step towards a complete liberation of the Palestinian land as part of the complete unity.
The PLO struggles to strengthen its solidarity with the socialist countries and world liberal forces to foil all Zionist and imperialist designs.
In light of this program, the revolution leadership is to decide a tactic that serves our issue and allows us to realize our aims.
It is noted that the ten- Point Program ignored the ninth clause of thecharter that considers armed struggle to be the only way to liberate Palestineand takes that to be a strategy, this is noted when the program called for usingall possible means ("means" here refers to the public and diplomaticmeans, including participation in Geneva's conference for negotiations). Theprogram also ignored the clause (12) of the Palestinian charter, that rejectsall alternative solutions for completely liberating Palestine, this is notedwhen the program called for establishing the Palestinian people's nationalauthority on every liberated part from the Palestinian land until it iscompletely liberated.
Here we can say that the program set the stage for a Palestinian acceptance to arealistic political settlement to the conflict, that facilitates for thePalestinian right to self-determination in Palestine.
This change reflects improvement in the Palestinian political thought, arisingfrom PLO's liberal policy, and the international dimension of the Palestinianstruggle acquired when the PLO was accepted in the UN.
Palestine Ministry of Information
June 1999
This Covenant was written by the first Chairman of the PalestineLiberation Organization, Ahmed Shukeiry.
The Original Palestine NationalCharter
We. The Palestinian Arab people, who waged fierce andcontinuous battles to safeguard its homeland, to defend its dignity and honour,and who offered, all through the years, continuous caravans of immortal martyrs,and who wrote the noblest pages of sacrifice, offering and giving.
We. The Palestinian Arab people, who faced the forces of evil,injustice and aggression against whom the forces of International Zionism andcolonialism conspired and worked to displace it, dispossess it from its homelandto realize its freedom and dignity and who has determined to amass its forcesand mobilize its efforts and capabilities in order to continue its struggle andto move forward on the path of holy war until complete and final victory hasbeen attained.
We. The Palestinian Arab people, depending on our right ofself-defense and the complete restoration of our lost homeland – a right thathas been recognized by international covenants and common practices includingthe charter of the United Nations and in implementation of the principles ofhuman rights’ and comprehending the international political relations, withits various ramifications and limits, and considering the past experiences inall that pertains to the causes of the catastrophe (al-Nakba), and the means toface it.
And embarking from the Palestinian Arab reality, and for thesake of the honour of the Palestinian individual and his right to free anddignified life;
And realizing the national grave responsibility placed uponour shoulders, for the sake of all this.
We. The Palestinian Arab people, dictate and declare thisPalestinian National Covenant and vow to realize it.
Article 1. Palestine is an Arab homeland bound bystrong national ties to the rest of the Arab Countries and which together formthe large Arab homeland.
Article 2. Palestine with its boundaries at the timeof the British Mandate is a regional indivisible unit.
Article 3. The Palestinian Arab people has thelegitimate right to its homeland and is an inseparable part of the Arab Nation.It shares the sufferings and aspirations of the Arab Nation and its struggle forfreedom, sovereignty, progress and unity.
Article 4. The people of Palestine determines itsdestiny when it completes the liberation of its homeland in accordance with itsown wishes and free will and choice.
Article 5. The Palestinian personality is a permanentand genuine characteristic that does not disappear. It is transferred fromfathers to sons.
Article 6. The Palestinians are those Arab citizenswho were living normally in Palestine up to 1947, whether they remained or wereexpelled. Every child who was born to a Palestinian parent after this datewhether in Palestine or outside is a Palestinian.
Article 7. Jews of Palestinian origin are consideredPalestinians if they are willing to live peacefully and loyally in Palestine.
Article 8. Bringing up Palestinian youth in Arab andnationalist manner is a fundamental national duty. All means of guidanceeducation and enlightenment should be utilized to introduce the youth to itshomeland in a deep spiritual way that will constantly and firmly bind themtogether.
Article 9. Doctrines whether political social oreconomic, shall not occupy the people of Palestine from the primary duty ofliberating their homeland. All Palestinians constitute one national front andwork with all their feelings and spiritual and material potentialities to freetheir homeland.
Article 10. Palestinians have three mottoes: Nationalunity, National mobilization; and liberation. Once liberation is completed, thepeople of Palestine shall choose for its public life whatever political economicor social system they want.
Article 11. The Palestinian people firmly believe inArab unity, and in order to play its role in realizing this goal, it must, atthis stage of its struggle preserve its Palestinian personality and all itsconstituents. It must strengthen the consciousness of its existence and standagainst any attempt or plan that may weaken or disintegrate its personality.
Article 12. Arab unity and the liberation of Palestineare two complementary goals; each prepares for the attainment of the other. Arabunity leads to the liberation of Palestine, and the liberation of Palestineleads to Arab unity. Working for both must go side by side.
Article 13. The destiny of the Arab Nation and eventhe essence of Arab existence are firmly tied to the destiny of the Palestinequestion; from this firm bond stems the effort and struggle of the Arab Nationto liberate Palestine. The People of Palestine assumes the vanguard role inachieving this sacred national goal.
Article 14. The liberation of Palestine from an Arabview point, is a national duty. Its responsibilities fall upon the entire ArabNation, Governments and peoples, the Palestinian people being in the foreground.For this purpose the Arab Nation must mobilize its military spiritual andmaterial potentialities, specifically, it must give to the Palestinian Arabpeople all possible support and backing and place at its disposal allopportunities and means to enable them to perform their roles in liberatingtheir homeland.
Article 15. The liberation of Palestine, from aspiritual view point, prepares for the Holy Land, an atmosphere of tranquillityand peace, in which all the Holy Places will be safeguarded, and the freeworship and visit to all will be guaranteed, without any discrimination of race,colour, tongue, or religion. For all this, the Palestinian people look forwardto the support of all spiritual forces in the world.
Article 16. The liberation of Palestine from aninternational view point is a defensive act necessitated by the demands ofself-defense as stated in the charter of the United Nations. That is why thepeople of Palestine desiring to befriend all nations which love freedom, justice,and peace, is looking forward for their support in restoring the legitimatesituation to Palestine, establishing peace and security in its territory, andenable its people to exercise national sovereignty and freedom.
Article 17. The Partitioning of Palestine in 1947 andthe establishment of Israel are illegal and false regardless of the loss oftime, because they were contrary to the wish of the Palestine people and itsnatural right to its homeland, and in violation of the basic principles embodiedin the charter of the United Nations, foremost among which is the right toself-determination.
Article 18. The Balfour Declaration, the Mandatesystem and all that has been based upon them are considered fraud. The claims ofhistoric and spiritual ties, ties between Jews and Palestine are not inagreement with the facts of history or with the true basis of sound statehood.Judaism because it is a divine religion is not a nationality with independentexistence. Furthermore the Jews are not one people with an independentpersonality because they are citizens of the countries to which they belong.
Article 19. Zionism is a colonialist movement in itsinception, aggressive and expansionist in its goals, racist and segregationistin its configurations and fascist in its means and aims. Israel in its capacityas the spearhead of this destructive movement and the pillar for colonialism isa permanent source of tension and turmoil in the Middle East in particular andto the international community in general. Because of this the People ofPalestine are worthy of the support and sustenance of the community of nations.
Article 20. The causes of peace and security and theneeds of right and justice demand from all nations, in order to safeguard truerelationships among peoples, and to maintain the loyalty of citizens to theirhomeland, to consider Zionism an illegal movement and to outlaw its presence andactivities.
Article 21. The Palestine people believes in theprinciple of justice, freedom, sovereignty, self-determination, human dignity,and the right of peoples to practice these principles. It also supports allinternational efforts to bring about peace on the basis of justice and freeinternational co-operation.
Article 22. The People of Palestine believe inpeaceful coexistence on the basis of legal existence, for there can be nocoexistence with aggression, nor can there be peace with occupation andcolonialism.
Article 23. In realizing the goals and principles ofthis Covenant the Palestine Liberation Organization carries out its completerole to liberate Palestine in accordance with the fundamental law of thisOrganization.
Article 24. This Organization does not exercise anyregional sovereignty over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, onthe Gaza Strip or the Himmah Area. Its activities will be on the nationalpopular level in the liberational, organizational, political and financialfields.
Article 25. The Organization is encharged with themovement of the Palestinian people in its struggle to liberate its homeland inall liberational, organizational, political, and financial matters, and in allother needs of the Palestine Question in the Arab and international spheres.
Article 26. The Liberation Organization co-operateswith all Arab governments each according to its ability, and does not interferein the internal affairs of any state.
Article 27. The Organization shall have its flag, oathand national anthem. All this shall be resolved in accordance with a specialsystem.
Article 28. The Fundamental Law for the PalestineLiberation Organization is attached to this Covenant. This Law defines themanner of establishing the Organization, its organs, institutions, thespecialities of each one of them, and all the needed duties thrust upon it inaccordance with this Covenant.
Article 29. This Covenant cannot be amended except bytwo-thirds majority of the National Council of the Palestine LiberationOrganization in a special session called for this purpose.
Adopted in 1964 by the 1st Palestinian Conference
Source: Jewish Virtual Library - http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Peace/cove1.html
American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (AICE)
Statement of Proclamation of the PalestineLiberation Organization
(Jerusalem, 28 May 1964)
Believing in the right of the Palestinian Arab people to itssacred homeland Palestine and affirming the inevitability of the battle toliberate the usurped part from it, and its determination to bring out itseffective revolutionary entity and the mobilization of the capabilities andpotentialities and its material, military and spiritual forces;
And in realization of the will and determination of ourpeople to wage the battle of liberating its homeland forcefully as the effectiveand fighting vanguard of the sacred march;
And in realization of a genuine aspiration of the Arab nationembodied in the resolutions of the League of Arab States and the First ArabSummit Conference;
And depending upon God Almighty and in the name of the FirstArab Palestinian Congress held in the city of Jerusalem this day on the 16thof Muharram of the year 1384, corresponding to 28 May 1964,
I do hereby proclaim the establishment of the PalestineLiberation Organization as a mobilizing leadership of the forces of thePalestinian Arab people to wage the battle of liberation, as a shield for therights and aspirations of the people of Palestine and as a road to victory.
Ahmad Shukairy
Chairman of the First Palestinian Conference
______________________________________________
Source: Permanent Observer Mission ofPalestine to the United Nations - http://www.palestine-un.org/mission/frindex.html
Israel-PLORecognition:
Exchange of Letters between PM Rabin and Chairman Arafat
LETTER FROM YASSER ARAFAT TO PRIME MINISTER RABIN
September 9, 1993
Yitzhak Rabin
Prime Minister of Israel
Mr. Prime Minister,
The signing of the Declarationof Principles marks a new era in the history of the Middle East. In firmconviction thereof, I would like to confirm the following PLO commitments:
The PLO recognizes the right ofthe State of Israel to exist in peace and security.
The PLO accepts United NationsSecurity Council Resolutions 242 and 338.
The PLO commits itself to theMiddle East peace process, and to a peaceful resolution of the conflict betweenthe two sides and declares that all outstanding issues relating to permanentstatus will be resolved through negotiations.
The PLO considers that thesigning of the Declaration of Principles constitutes a historic event,inaugurating a new epoch of peaceful coexistence, free from violence and allother acts which endanger peace and stability. Accordingly, the PLO renouncesthe use of terrorism and other acts of violence and will assume responsibilityover all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance, preventviolations and discipline violators.
In view of the pormise of a newera and the signing of the Declaration of Principles and based on Palestinianacceptance of Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, the PLO affirms thatthose articles of the Palestinian Covenant which deny Israel's right to exist,and the provisions of the Covenant which are inconsistent with the commitmentsof this letter are now inoperative and no longer valid. Consequently, the PLOundertakes to submit to the Palestinian National Council for formal approval thenecessary changes in regard to the Palestinian Covenant.
Sincerely,
Yasser Arafat
Chairman
The Palestine Liberation Organization
LETTER FROMYASSER ARAFAT TO NORWEGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER:
September 9, 1993
His Excellency
Johan Jorgen Holst
Foreign Minister of Norway
Dear Minister Holst,
I would like top confirm to youthat, upon the signing of the Declaration of Principles, the PLO encourages andcalls upon the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to take partin the steps leading to the normalization of life, rejecting violence andterrorism, contributing to peace and stability and participating actively inshaping reconstruction, economic develoment and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Yasser Arafat
Chairman
The Palestine Liberation Organization
LETTER FROM PRIME MINISTER RABIN TO YASSER ARAFAT:
September 9, 1993
Yasser Arafat
Chairman
The Palestinian Liberation Organization
Mr. Chairman,
In response to your letter ofSeptember 9, 1993, I wish to confirm to you that, in light of the PLOcommitments included in your letter, the Government of Israel has decided torecognize the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people and commencenegotiations with the PLO within the Middle East peace process.
Yitzhak Rabin
Prime Minister of Israel
____________________________________________
Source:Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs - http://www.israel.org/mfa/home.asp
Introduction
The following is the complete and unabridged text of the Palestinian National Covenant, as published officially in English by the PLO*, based largely on the text adopted earlier in 1964.
In his letter of September 9, 1993 to Prime Minister Rabin, Yasser Arafat stated that those articles which deny Israel's right to exist or are inconsistent with the PLO's new commitments to Israel following their mutual recognition, are no longer valid. Several of the key articles to be amended are highlighted below.
On April 24, 1996, the Palestinian National Council, convening in Gaza, voted 504 to 54, with 14 abstentions, as follows:
On December 14, 1998, the Palestinian National Council, in accordance with the Wye Memorandum, convened in Gaza in the presence of U.S. President Clinton and voted to reaffirm this decision.
* English rendition as published in Basic PoliticalDocuments of the Armed Palestinian Resistance Movement; Leila S. Kadi (ed.),Palestine Research Centre, Beirut, December 1969, pp.137-141.