Palestinian envoy: End of occupation, sole key to ME peace
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 4/12/2006

Palestine's Ambassador to Spain Musa Amer Odeh said on Tuesday that the key to peace in the Middle East is the end of Israel's occupation.

"Peace and stability in the Middle East region will be possible only when occupation by Israel comes to an end because occupation and peace cannot come together," said Odeh in an interview with IRNA yesterday.

Israel's Prime Minister Olmert  summarized the discussions he held on Sunday on policy regarding Hamas following the swearing-in of the Palestinian government as follows:
- Israel will not hold ties with the Palestinian Authority, which is a hostile authority, and will act to prevent the administrative establishment of the Hamas government.
- The Palestinian Authority is one authority and does not have two heads; links with it will be reduced and no ties will be held with it. There will be no personal disavowal of  the Palestinian Authority chairman.
- Foreign visitors who meet with Hamas officials will not be received for meetings with Israeli officials.

Odeh said Palestinians will never give up their right for liberation of their homeland.

He said, "Palestinians want peace as well as their legitimate and legal rights; and if Israel favors peace too, it should end the occupation; otherwise, the Palestinian nation will continue with our campaign against the occupation. And this is a right given to us by the international rights, which also condemn Israel's occupation." He said Palestinians will not compromise their rights, adding that the international community should show strong determination to end occupation and defend the absolute rights of the Palestinian people.

He went on to say that if the international community forces Israel to implement the UN resolutions and end the occupation, there will be no need for Palestinians to continue their struggle.

"If they do not do so, this will mean that they would like us to continue our struggle and we too will continue the campaign until we attain independence and freedom," he added.

The diplomat said Palestinians do not do anything against the international norms and regulations, rather they want to regain their rights even if this needs use of arms because the UN resolutions give such a permission to the Palestinian nation.

Elsewhere in the interview, Odeh said, "We will not allow the occupiers to bring their citizens to the occupied lands because the occupied regions belong to their main owners, who are the Palestinian people." He said Palestine is today the last country of the world that is still under occupation.

He said there is no other way for solving the Palestinian crisis other than dismantling Jewish settlements and forcing Israel to comply with international conventions.

Previous Stories:
  Israeli military storms Greek Orthodox Patriarchate   (4/11/2006)
  Israeli occupation wounds 16 citizens, arrests 21 others   (4/6/2006)

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