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The Intifada of the Palestinian peopleenters its fifth year

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The Intifada of the Palestinian people enters
its fifth year

PR.22/ Arab Sec/ 28-9-2004
Doc: 4/9/2004

Four years have passed since the ominous visit of Sharon to the Aksaa mosque under the heavy protection of the army and security forces in a challenge against all Muslims in the world, provoking the Palestinian people and in violation of Islamic sanctities. This, despite warnings sounded by the Palestinian leadership to the Israeli leadership and related Western countries.
On that same day and in the days that followed, the Israeli army committed a massacre in the courtyards of the Al Aqsa Mosque that claimed the lives of many worshippers who demonstrated their anger against this visit.

Undoubtedly, this hateful visit incited the eruption of anger particularly as Israel in the last four years with its occupation forces, planes, tanks and soldiers and continuous aggressions caused the martyrdom of nearly 3540 including 650 children.
According to human rights reports by Israeli organizations, more than 1540 martyrs were not related to any Intifada activities. Moreover, this racist Israeli aggression injured more than 45 thousand victims, more than 8 thousand were detained and imprisoned including children, women, the sick and injured exposed to the worst forms of torture, humiliation and slow death. Israel destroyed more than three quarter of a million fruit bearing olive trees, demolished the entire infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza as well as the Palestinian economy. All shops, economic institutions and factories were not spared and totally destroyed. These losses were estimated at 20 billion dollars suffered by the Palestinian economy. Unemployment rate stood at more than 63% and more than 55% of Palestinian families live below the poverty line.

These violations and crimes in addition to the construction of the racist separation wall aims at isolating the Palestinians, expropriating their agricultural lands and water sources and prohibiting their movement to go to work, school, or medical treatment. This clearly indicates a scheme to drive the Palestinian people to emigrate under the force of arms and tyranny of the racist occupier. Furthermore, the settlement policy exercised by Israel which is a violation of all international laws and customs, numerous concerned human rights organizations and relevant UN resolutions, continuation of coercive measures adopted by Israel and attempts to isolate, harm and place President Yasser Arafat (elected democratically by the Palestinian people) under siege who gave peace a priority by accepting and adopting all peace initiatives, all this aims at aborting peace opportunities and blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state.

AAPSO, on this occasion lauds the struggle of the Palestinian people and demands Israel to totally withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza, Al Quds Al Sherif and all Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 and to accept international peace keeping forces, the establishment of the Palestinian state so that stability, peace and security may reign in this vital part of the world.
AAPSO strongly condemns all crimes and terrorist acts perpetrated by the Israeli state against the Palestinian people and demands that all those involved in crimes in terms of premeditated killing, collective punishment and human rights violations in prisons and barriers by brought to trial regardless of time.

AAPSO denounces all threats launched by Israeli leaderships against President Yasser Arafat and deems that such policies are aimed at blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state and continuation of chaos and violence in the region.
AAPSO believes that Israel would not have played such a role had it not been for continuous American support of its aggression, politically, economically and militarily. The so called smart bombs are but giving the green light from the American administration and Congress to the extremists in the Israeli government and Settlers.

On this occasion, AAPSO declares its support and solidarity with the Palestinian people and its legitimate leadership in their quest to achieve the lofty goals of the Palestinian struggle. It demands all peace loving forces and governments to extend their support and assistance to the Palestinian people to confront this racist aggression.

Moreover, AAPSO praises the Non Aligned countries resolution to prohibit the entry of settlers who have seized land and violate peoples rights in the West Bank and the Gaza strip as well as commends their boycott of all goods from settlements.