[News] Palestine - Leftist DFLP: Rice and the US rhetoric empty as ever

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Leftist DFLP: Rice and the US rhetoric empty as ever
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=720&Itemid=1

(Ramallah) Rashid Hilal
Friday, 06 October 2006

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After US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with President Abbas 
in Ramallah and later with Israeli officials, it was noted that the 
Israelis "were given no criticisms" despite the ongoing occupation, 
while the list of demands to the Palestinians was long.

President Abbas graciously described the meeting as "helpful" 
although it did not suggest that the US and Israeli political and 
economic blockade was any where near an end. The United States 
Secretary of State and the Palestinian President both said in a joint 
press conference that there is a great need to improve the heavily 
deprived humanitarian situation in Palestine.

However, coming from the US, these statements were intended to 
confuse the reality of the issue. The comments were invitations to 
Arab states and the United States to revive the 'peace process' by 
solving the 'Palestinian issue.'

Social Issues Chairperson in the Palestinian Legislative Council and 
member of the Political Bureau of the leftist Democratic Front for 
the Liberation of Palestine, Qais, Abu Laila, Abdul Karim, spoke with 
PNN. "The essence of the American moves thus far do not offer any 
concrete proposals for solutions to the core issues of the 
Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but focus on some of the issues that 
are the results of the ongoing conflict, rather than the reasons behind them."

Abu Laila said that between the lines of American talk to support 
President Abbas is a bid to "pour oil on the fire," and "incite civil 
war." By imposing the political blockade when Hamas took office, and 
the economic blockade that has destroyed the already tenuous economy, 
Hamas takes the blame. But before Hamas was in power, Fateh was and 
the situation, although workers were paid, was not much better. US 
Secretary of State Rice said that what is necessary is a Palestinian 
government capable of "meeting the needs of the Palestinian people." 
She did not mention the blockade, and certainly not the occupation.

Abu Laila pointed out, "The American talk about finding solutions to 
the living problems of the Palestinian people does not take into 
account that many of these problems are the result of Israeli 
politics, which cut off the Palestinian territories and prevent the 
advancement of Palestinian economic prosperity and ensure that the 
urgent needs of the Palestinians are not secured. It also did not 
take into account that the latest problems are due to the blockade 
imposed by Israel and the United States, and some other international 
powers, against the Palestinian Authority as a collective punishment 
because of the results of the recent elections."

Abu Laila said, "Instead of Rice discussing ways to address these 
difficult living conditions by eliminating the causes by  lifting the 
embargo and pressuring Israel to restore withheld Palestinian funds, 
we found this empty rhetoric."

In response to PNN queries to Abu Laila regarding US President Bush 
authorizing US Secretary of State to initiate movement to resolve the 
conflict in the region, Abu Laila said, "This authorization is 
theoretical, and once again comes with conditions on the 
Palestinians, arguing that there is no Palestinian partner. If we 
look at reality we see that this underlines the lack of American 
seriousness and the emptiness of such talk."

He told PNN, "If this move can seriously be taken through the 
Palestine Liberation Organization and the head of its Executive 
Committee, President Mahmoud Abbas, okay. If that would be able to 
find solutions to the issues raised, which would open the way to 
resolve internal Palestinian differences that impede the 
establishment of a national unity government, okay. It is true that 
differences arising internally is one of the most pressing elements 
that block our own political horizon, but the issue is the continuing 
Israeli aggression. And that is blamed on the people."

Qais Abdel Karim concluded, "Palestinians are again being blamed for 
Israeli aggression, for the US and Israeli blockade, and for 
suffering under occupation."


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