Newspaper
INFOBAE
Buenos
Aires, 12 February 2005
SUHAIL HANI DAHER AKEL He is the first Ambassador of Palestine accredited in Argentina. Graduate in International Relations and married. He has four children. He distinguishes by a cordial but formal treatment. He is also a man of lyrics who in this moment works in his fifth book: Palestine, the why of the tragedy and he is a lover of the ideals of Yasser Arafat.
PROFILE
PALESTINIAN OF HISTORY AND OF HEART
The ambassador received to Infobae at the door of an office of high roofs and walls covered with pictures and diplomas. Behind his desk, a picture of his most admired leader: Yasser Arafat. He looks straight to the eyes, he shakes hands with firmness and he invites a Palestinian coffee. He is a 54-year-old man who was born in the Old City of Jerusalem, in Haret El-Saadie. He went into exile and he was able to return 46 years later.
The occupation must end (view)
By Journalist: Catalina Weiss
- How would it be an eventual Palestinian State? Which territories would it comprise?
Palestine is a territory which existed along the history, biblical territory, sealed in the tradition of the mankind. 58 years ago it suffered a partition, which gave rise to the creation of the State of Israel over our country. For 38 years, already as military power, it occupied the remaining part (22 %) with our capital city East Jerusalem.
The strength of the PLO and the Oslo Accord of 1993 allowed, in 1994, the return of the President Yasser Arafat and he won the first democratic elections in 1996 with the 88.1%, marking the starting point of the evolution of Palestine, its infrastructure and as democratic and lay state with equality of rights.
After the death of our father of the homeland, Yasser Arafat, we appealed to our basic law and the articles 5th and 13th, we called to presidential elections and it was highlighted the maturity of our people and its exemplary democratic elections under the occupation, with the triumph of the president Mahmoud Abbas with the 62.6%.
- Do you consider it possible that Abbas control to the radical groups?
President Abbas offered his firm and sincere hand to Sharon in Sharam el Sheij, Egypt. But to a despoiled people, with its country under the occupation for 38 years in front of a nuclear power, which forbids its development, drowning its life and asphyxiating its geography, you can not ask it not to resist.
All the peoples did it, you the Argentineans did it, and by any chance it is not our right to put an end to the Israeli colonialism? In 1993, we wanted to change the history; it was a common necessity.
Yitzhak Rabin understood the “Peace of the Braves” proposed by Arafat, but lamentably our partner in peace was assassinated by an Israeli terrorist. After that, no other Israeli had the strength to continue the process, until the provocation of Sharon in the 2000 caused the Israeli reoccupation and the Palestinian intifada.
Sharon rose to power, dismantled the agreements and began the construction of the Apartheid wall inside occupied Palestine; extended his settlements and assassinations. Consequently, two peoples: the Palestinian and the Israeli tested the death again, sharing the pain and the suffering
- Is Palestine willing to look for the peace?
Of course. But Israel must put and end to the occupation. The State of Palestine with Jerusalem as Capital City must be restored in the line of 4/6/67 according to UN resolutions.
We must think about our children and the region. The Arab world will recognize to Israel and starting from that instance Palestine and Israel together with the rest of the neighbor Arab countries will have to form a common block with flexibility of borders and dignity for all the peoples. Europe is an example; they also had a war.
- How would you differentiate the charisma and the political handling between Arafat and Ariel Sharon?
Arafat is the father of the homeland. He can not be compared with Sharon. He can be compared with the great liberators of the world. For instance, he can be compared with the General San Martin, who led his people and part of the continent to the freedom and independence and that was the project of Arafat. This is the difference between a liberator and a chief of an occupant power.
- What do you think about the momentary withdrawal of the settlements?
Every withdrawal must be framed in the UN resolutions and the Road Map. The withdrawal must not be unilateral but conventional.
ARAFAT, AN STANDING LEADER
The ambassador showed a deep admiration for his leader, who took them out of the exile and led them to their land, recovering their identity.
This seems to reproduce in all the people. “The history does not remember such a funeral of a people for its leader, seeing to thousands to raise his coffin with passion and love. The UN and the world respected him as Chief of State, is enough to see the farewell of France and of each one of the international leaders and his presidential funeral in Egypt. We lament that Sharon fenced him militarily until martyring him. Personally, I have many experiences and memories, but I have a special scale: Jesus, the Savior, that Palestinian, Jewish and Christian, who anticipated the arrival of the Islam and gave his life in order to redeem the mankind. My parents, Palestinians, who allowed me to be born in Jerusalem dying in the exile, and Arafat the Jerosolimitane, master and liberator”.
Arafat won the first elections in 1996 with the 88,1% of the votes.