PRESS RELEASEPublished @ 12 December 1997
PALESTINIAN CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
“HUMAN RIGHTS AND FINAL STATUS ISSUES”
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights opened its International Conference on “Human Rights and Final Status Issues” on Friday, December 12 at the Rashad Shawa Cultural Center in Gaza City. Opening speeches were made by Mr. Raji Sourani, Mr. Salim Al Za’noun, and Dr. Hanan Ashrawi.
Mr. Raji Sourani, Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, welcomed the local and international guests to the conference and stated that the purpose of the conference is to expose occupation policies, torture, house demolitions, and collective punishments imposed on the Palestinian people by the Israeli government. The conference intends to create a framework of ideas in which the Final Status Issues can be addressed seriously and to which non-governmental organizations can refer to develop strategy during this critical period of time. Sourani asserted that the Fourth Geneva Convention must be applied in raising up the cause of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian people themselves must feel that justice has been done by them if there is to be a real and meaningful peace.
Sourani declared that the occupation had left a heavy legacy on the Palestinian people in regard to social and economic issues. Peace is not established for itself but to protect and preserve such values as a regard for human rights. Consequently, human rights must be placed at the forefront of the peace-making agenda.
According to Sourani, Israeli policies during the past four years have created a situation in which the peace accords have suffered a clinical death. Israel has attempted to deepen settlements and divide the West Bank from the Gaza Strip. Indeed, Israeli policy has attempted to fragment the West Bank into separate non-contiguous pieces along the lines of an apartheid system. These Israeli policies have practically returned the peace process to square one. Sourani warned that if the process explodes then it will have consequences for the wider region.
Mr. Salim Al Za’noun, Speaker of the Palestinian National Council, announced that the conference participants could play an important role in illuminating the difficult road ahead. He proceeded to provide a summary of the recent history of the Palestinian people which served as a testament to their patience and endurance. This continued presence in the face of adversity has refuted the notion that Palestine ever was a nation without people.
Za’noun insisted that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land did not cancel Palestinian rights to sovereignty. The declaration of a Palestinian state in 1988 only reasserted the fact that Palestine is a state. Furthermore, based on UN Resolution 181, Israel does not exercise sovereignty over East or West Jerusalem. If Israel rejects this then it is rejecting the very resolution that established it as a state.
Za’noun expressed his hope that the international experts participating in the conference would stand firm against the new obstacles to peace being raised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He questioned how anyone could believe Netanyahu is serious about his offer to engage in meaningful final status negotiations when he has failed on all the smaller prior issues. Za’noun closed by criticizing Netanyahu’s vagueness and asserting that the days ahead are very dangerous and require national unity to protect the gains of the Palestinian people.
Palestinian Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, congratulated the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights for its brave and courageous effort to launch a vision of the future. She asserted that one of the weakest points in the peace process is its lack of attention to the human dimension. Critical considerations such as human rights have not received full attention. Unfortunately, the peace process has too often devolved into being just a political process carried out by political leaders. Consequently, a gap has emerged between the people and their leaders. The lack of popular involvement has occurred alongside a national dialogue that has lost its essence.
Ashrawi emphasized that social justice and human rights should not be viewed as secondary matters that can be postponed, but must be addressed now so as not to exacerbate already existing problems. Human rights should be an important part of the political process. In conclusion, she asserted that participants must have the courage to intervene and participate actively in the process as “peace belongs to all of us.”