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Palestinian National Liberation Movement
“Fatah”
The Political Platform
(Ratified by the Sixth General Congress of the Movement on August 8, 2009)
INTRODUCTION
Preparations for the launching of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement
(
Fatah
) started in the mid-fifties of the last century as a result of the harbingers of a new reality after the Nakba of 1948
.
They were affected by the Arab winds of determination and resistance starting by the Egyptian Revolution of July 1952
, to the beginnings of the armed Palestinian struggle led by Abu Jihad in Gaza in 1954
, to the formation of a Palestinian guerrilla force in Gaza under the supervision of the Egyptian leadership
. The winds of revolution and liberation movements swept through Algeria
, Vietnam
, and other parts of Asia and Africa
, adding another important factor
. Such developments created a fertile ground for the launching of
“Fatah”
Movement in the last quarter of 1957
. Realizing the importance of mobilizing the Palestinian people of all classes
, sectors and whereabouts
, Fatah formulated its program of struggle
, avoiding class
, factional
,
sectarian and regional conflicts
. Fatah focused on restoring the Palestinian identity to its land and people
, and on regaining the independence of the Palestinian will
, while deepening its association with the Arab nation
, seeking its support and protection
. Fatah then began the preparation to launch the armed struggle through its military wing
; Al-Assifa
.
The launching of armed struggle on the first of January 1965
constituted a real birth of the contemporary Palestinian resistance movement after the catastrophe
(
Nakba
). It enabled Fatah to restore respect to the identity of the Palestinian people and its national personality
,
to draw all attention to the Palestinian just cause
, and raising the status of Fatah among liberation movements all over the world
. The armed revolution represented the spearhead for the Liberation of Palestine
. It became a revolution with a Palestinian face
, an Arab heart and a universal human dimension
. Fatah emerged out of the womb of suffering to convert the image of the Palestinian people from refugees seeking humanitarian aid to a people with national rights that deserve to be supported by the international community and international legitimacy
. The defeat of the 1967
war and the occupation of the rest of Palestine i.e
. West Bank and the Gaza Strip pushed Fatah to escalate the armed struggle inside our occupied country
. Yasser Arafat (Abu Ammar) and his
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companions entered the occupied homeland to consolidate the underground organization of Fatah
, to expand it and to build new cells
. The Karamah battle of March 1968
constituted a symbol of a legendary Palestinian resistance and increased the capability of Fatah and the resistance movement against the Israeli occupation
, but the occupation stayed
,
and expanded through settlement and colonization
.
The Palestinian anger blew up in the face of the occupation
, and the stones of the Intifada broke out on December 9
, 1987
to shake the ground under the feet of the occupiers
. On November 15
, 1988 the Nineteenth Palestinian National Council declared the establishment of the State of Palestine
, which was recognized by 52
countries within ten days following its proclamation
. Para in August 1990
, the Gulf War broke out
, the Soviet Union collapsed later
. As a result
, we lost a true friend who was always on our side
; in addition to the Arab loss in Iraq
, and in the Gulf
. The emergence of a uni-polar world
, with the USA as the only power made things more difficult
while creating new opportunities. As a result
, it became necessary to review our interim strategy to explore these opportunities to move towards peace
, which led to the start of the peace process and the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority
.
This opened the doors to the liberation of Palestinian cities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
, which allowed us to build institutions of the future independent state
, and to achieve international recognition
. It also led to the creation of political
, economic and trade relations with foreign countries
. In addition
, many internal achievements were made in the political
, constitutional and economic fields
. One of the most important advantages of establishing the Palestinian Authority was the return of 200.000
Palestinians to their homeland thus putting an end to their displacement and eviction
.
However
, there were disadvantages and failures resulting from the formation of the Palestinian Authority
.
In 1996
, a short term Intifada
, known as the
“Tunnel Intifada”
erupted following the creation by Israel of a tunnel under Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem
. The failure of the Camp David negotiations to reach a permanent settlement by the end of the year 2000
led to a stalemate in the peace process
, and led to the eruption of the
“Al
Aqsa Intifada”
. During the Intifada the Israeli siege was intensified
,
settlements escalated
, and resistance stepped up
. The invading Israeli forces raided and reoccupied the entire West Bank
, besieged Abu Ammar
, our leader
, and conspired to kill him
. Yasser Arafat maintained his steadfastness as a leader and refused to surrender
. After two years of legendary steadfastness in the face of the siege
,
numerous assassination attempts
, and after an Israeli draconian blockade on
the Moqata’a
, the presidential compound in Ramallah
, our leader and mentor
,
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Yasser Arafat
, passed away on November 11
, 2004
. His departure as a knight
, commander and martyr created a great shock
.
Fatah chose one of its symbols to lead the march in very difficult circumstances
, and it was Mahmoud Abbas
( Abu Mazen
) who assumed the leadership
. The Israeli siege continued and settlement construction intensified
. President Abu Mazen was elected in January 1995
, to succeed Abu Ammar
. He announced in January 2006
, new legislative elections
. Hamas won
. This was followed by an Israeli and international siege
. Consequently
, a national unity government was formed in early 2007
which partially succeeded in lifting the siege
. Nevertheless
, Hamas conducted a military coup in Gaza leading to the takeover of the PNA institutions
. It imposed a strict oppressive military regime that ended the democratic process in Gaza and separated the Gaza Strip from the West Bank
.
After its coup d
état Hamas continued in deepening the rift between Gaza and the West Bank
. It conducted a policy excluding all its opponents
,
and it established alternative and parallel institutions to the PNA ones
, it used tools to suppress freedom in order to fight Fatah
,
and other Palestinian factions
. Hamas also adopted its own
“project”
to replace our Palestinian national program
.
Hamas’
priority was to tighten itsgrip over the Gaza Strip
, regardless of the negative repercussions on Palestinian national unity and the interests of our people
, especially in the Gaza Strip
. Despite the truce (Hudnah) reached between Hamas and Israel, the Israeli army waged an aggression against our people in Gaza at the beginning of 2009
. The aggression caused huge destruction and led to the martyrdom of hundreds
, and to the wounding and injury of thousands of our people in the Gaza Strip
. Israel tightened the siege around Gaza
, and blocked all attempts at its reconstruction
. Fatah remained faithful to its principles and worked through the Authority to provide support for Gaza
. It was always ready to engage seriously in any unification process to restore cohesion and unity to our people and our authority
, preserving the political legitimacy of the PLO and democratic legitimacy through elections
. Fatah responded to the Arab initiatives
, the latest of which was the Egyptian initiative in order to put an end to the rift and restore unity
. Egypt continued its endeavors to ensure success to the Palestinian national dialogue in Cairo
, a dialogue that we fully support and strive for its success
.
We signed the Egyptian paper, reached through a year of Egyptian sponsored dialogue. Hamas did not. The American policy in the region played an important role in the deterioration of the situation in the region
. During the Bush Administration it endorsed and