July 10, 2007

The Palestinian people have reached a point of crisis in their national struggle for self-determination, the right of return, and the building of a democratic, sovereign state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

This crisis is characterized by confusion between the Occupation and internal divisions threatening the unity of land and people both in Palestine and in the Diaspora.

The military takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas has thrown the Palestinian situation into danger and has diverted energy and attention away from the national struggle. Palestinians in the West Bank have reacted to the situation in the Gaza Strip with grief, pain and bitterness and reject the outcome of this imposed military solution as it represents a gross departure from the democratic process.

It must be remembered that the most important factor in this struggle remains the Palestinian people and their nation, not fighting over narrow factional interests.

Because we seek democracy over factional rule and interests, we are calling for a return to dialogue and the language of reason in the higher national interest.

As such, we are promoting the Initiative for National Salvation as a national solution to the crisis. This dialogue should not be an end in itself however, and should not perpetuate the status quo.

In order for this dialogue to succeed and for national unity to be re-established, there must be the formation of a unified, temporary decision-making body within the Palestine Liberation Organisation, which is responsible for the Palestinian Authority and is the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. This interim body should include all Palestinian political forces without exceptions, and should apply necessary mechanisms to implement the Cairo Declarations and the National Reconciliation Document.

We propose the following series of integrated steps towards achieving this:

1. The immediate cessation of all forms of incitement through the media in order to create a healthy environment to facilitate the success of dialogue.

2. The immediate reversal of the military takeover of the Gaza Strip, and the dissolution of the de-facto government in the Gaza Strip as well as the Emergency Government in the West Bank; and the reversal of all unilateral administrative and security decisions taken in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since this time.

3. The formation of a transitional government on the basis of the National Reconciliation Document and the consensus of all political parties, that should within a set and agreed upon time frame restore the unity of official institutions of authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and build an independent, professional judiciary and a reformed, de-factionalised security force run along professional and not factional lines to enforce the rule of law and to ensure genuine protection and security for ordinary citizens.

4. A return to the decision of the Palestinian people, who are the source of all authorities, by establishing conditions to hold new presidential and legislative elections on the basis of a system of proportional representation to ensure a democratic exit from the current crisis.

5. Direct, immediate action by the Higher Committee set up following the Cairo Declaration towards rebuilding the Palestine Liberation Organisation based on democratic principles, and to accelerate the process of holding new elections on a proportional basis for the Palestine National Council to represent all Palestinians at home and in the Diaspora.

The Initiative for National Salvation welcomes all those who value the national interest, including political parties, leading personalities, community leaders, and civil society institutions to join us and unite to express the opinion of the silent majority in Palestinian society, to struggle against polarization and to work for national unity.

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