Newspaper El Litoral
Santa
Fe – Sunday, March 27 of 1994
PLO representative
“We were thrown out of our land, but we want to cohabit in peace” (view)
“We are being killed by the Israeli soldiers and army. In fact, this does not favour the process initiated in Washington between the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization “, affirmed the PLO representative in our country, Ambassador Suhail Hani Daher Akel.
The diplomat made a protocol visit to the Santa Fe Legislature, where Vice-governor Mr. Miguel A. Robles along with senators Papaleo and Pignatta received him.
After reading the decree by means of which he was declared a Guest of Honor, the PLO ambassador expressed his satisfaction for the reception offered in his person to the Palestine people.
“The Argentine people are a solidary country which understood our cause. This is very important in this new stage we are going through, a transition stage.
Our visit to each provincial government is due to the need of expressing our present position. Achieving adherents for peace is our objective.
My purpose is also the plantation of an olive tree – the fourth one in Argentina in a four-month period- as a symbol of peace. The olive tree has been very important along history because it has always symbolized peace and it was used by the Palestinian Jesus Christ to communicate his message”.
During the conversation at the Senate presidency, Ambassador Suhail Hani Daher Akel told his personal history: “I was born in Jerusalem, in my homeland, Palestine, in 1946. In 1948, it was decided to create the State of Israel on my land and I became a refugee. We, Palestinians, became strangers in our own land; meanwhile, thousand of people came from Europe to populate the State of Israel.
We know what pain and injustice mean. But we cannot now consent that the three million Israelis become what we were turned into. We need to pluck up the courage to share our land with this people, since this is the best way to dignify man. The prophets’ land should be shared by Muslims, Christians and Jews”.
After auguring well for the beginning of good relations between Santa Fe province and Palestine, the ambassador gave Vice-governor a diploma of the PLO and a reminiscent medal on behalf of the Al Fatah Organization, which “I belong to”. And Mr. Robles gave the ambassador two volumes from the encyclopedia of our province.
After this ceremony, all people there went with the ambassador to plant an olive tree at Italy Square.
“We, Palestinians, want to cohabit in peace”
Having a break at the protocol acts, Ambassador Suhail Hani Daher Akel had a conversation with “El Litoral” newspaper. With regard to our request about the real possibilities of reaching peace after the last event of violence which took place in that conflictive zone in Middle East, precisely in Hebron, the diplomat stated that “we are entirely committed to the process of dialogue and this is irreversible. The painful events which took place in the occupied territories left us deeply concerned.
The Israeli occupation has not taken into account our Palestinian people’s security.
The Israeli army and settlers are killing us and this does not benefit the process initiated in Washington between Israel and the PLO. Israel must make an urgent decision in respect of disarming its settlers, who are authorized by Parliament to use their weapons. It must derogate the law which forbids Israeli army from facing the violence of settlers. The dismantling of strategic settlements on the occupied territories and the quick implementation of the Washington agreements are also necessary.
All this is mentioned in the UN resolution 904, which condemns the Hebron massacre, urges Israel to give security to the Palestinian people and requires the intervention of foreign forces to defend our people. The implementation of the resolution which urges Israel to withdraw from the Occupied territories is also necessary”.
Anyway, the diplomat said that “there are only two ways: violence or dialogue. We have chosen the last one because it is the one which will give us the possibility of dignifying the Palestinian people.
Cohabitation is possible. We have been victims of the international injustice of dividing our people, since the Jews community was turn off and given a national identity, and we were turned into refugees.
But in spite of all this and after so many decades, before other constituted people, the options are that Israel destroys Palestinians, that Palestinians destroy Israel or the way out of the conflict we desire: both people living together in peace and freedom”.
We are satisfied with the Washington agreements which were happily received by Palestinians, supporting the decision of Yasser Arafat and the PLO.
In spite of this, the Israeli repression went on, unfortunately. I repeat, our people are highly embarked on living in peace.