Скачать или смотреть GAZA STRIP: PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT VOTES TO END ARMED STRUGGLE

(24 Apr 1996) Arabic/Eng/Nat

In an historic vote, the Palestinian parliament-in-exile has voted without debate to end its half-century old armed struggle against Israel.

Yasser Arafat won a sweeping majority in the Palestine National Council in favour of dropping all clauses of the PLO charter that called for the destruction of Israel.

The vote means that Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, interrupted by four suicide bombings by Islamic Hamas militants in February and March, is back on track.

As PNC members arrived in Gaza City on Wednesday, they were only too aware of the significance of the vote.

Described as a referendum on the fate of the Palestinian dream, it is now being hailed as a history-making step in the Mideast.

The decision by the PNC to drop its 22-year-old commitment to Israel's destruction has cleared a major hurdle on the way to a Palestinian state.

It voted 504 to 54 to revoke the clauses calling for armed struggle and destroying Israel - 14 members abstained and 27 were absent.

The result was a victory for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who got 50 votes over the two-thirds majority required.

But before the vote was taken, Arafat still had some arm twisting to do.

In an emotional speech, he warned hard-liners that a no vote would result in the Palestinians missing yet another historic opportunity to shape their future.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)
"The responsibility is not only on me, not only on Abu Allah (chairman of the PLC) - the responsibility will be on everyone. All of us."
SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader

The vote, held without a debate, was clearly welcomed by most members.

It clears the way for an Israeli troop withdrawal from parts of the Palestinian town of Hebron, the last West Bank city still under occupation.

Troops were to have redeployed in Hebron in late March, but Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres held off after the suicide bombings.

Israel has already hailed the vote as a significant step toward peace.

Wednesday's result could help Peres in the run up to the next month's election.

He needed a clear peace signal from the Palestinians in order to win over worried voters.

His Labour Party says it will now drop its policy of refusing to acknowledge a possible future Palestinian state.

Emerging into the gloom of the West Bank evening, the speaker of the PNC announced the historic result.

SOUNDBITE:
"We have a decision. We have an overwhelming positive decision. The charter of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation will be amended. 504 members of the Council voted in favour, 54 voted against and 14 abstained."
SUPER CAPTION: Salim al-Zaanoun, Palestinian National Council speaker

A tired and drained Arafat gave a low-key reaction to the result.

SOUNDBITE:
"It was a very important discussion and we are proud that this is our democracy which we had been always following these steps of democracy."
SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader

But some radical Palestinian groups are urging a rethink.

They voted no against peace with Israel because of its continued bombing of Lebanon.

SOUNDBITE:
"I am not happy because this decision is very dangerous for Palestinian peace."
Q: Will democratic processes continue in the PLO?
"We are a main part of the PLO and we will continue to work and be active in every institutions of PLO."
Q: How are you going to fight against this decision?
"We will struggle by democratic ways to fulfil this decision."
SUPER CAPTION: Abu Ayan, member Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine


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