Following is the statement issued by the National and Islamic Forces on April 7, 2001; signatories are: Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fateh); Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas); Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP); Palestinian People’s Party (PPP); Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA); Palestinian Popular Struggle Front; Palestinian Liberation Front; Islamic Jihad Movement; Arab Liberation Front; Palestinian Arab Front; Popular Front—General Command; Islamic National Salvation Party; and Popular Liberation War Pioneers (Sa’iqa):

Our great Palestinian masses
Our Arab and Islamic Masses
Our heroes of the Intifada
 

The Zionist aggression increases every day in different forms and through intensive crimes that affirm that Sharon-Peres government has reached a stage of confusion and frustration in front of the great steadfastness of our people and their insistence and determination to continue their struggle and resistance.

There are US attempts to save the Sharon-Peres government and to exert pressure here and there towards imposing contacts and security coordination attempts with US participation. We condemn these pressures and attempts and affirm our steadfast position reinforced with the blessed Intifada and heroic resistance that we will continue confronting the government of unity aggression until it collapses and until the occupation is totally eliminated from our Palestinian lands and until the Israelis realize that there is no room for stability or peace without the recognition of the non-alienable and constant rights of the Palestinian people in return, self determination and the establishment of the independent and sovereign Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital.

The aggression of Sharon-Peres government has been escalated through the increase of the settlement attack and the random shelling of residential areas and the attempts to evict citizens in the outskirt areas of the PNA territories in order to create a buffer zone and reinforce occupation and siege, in addition to the use of special units and collaborators to assassinate the strugglers Mohammed Abdul El-Al and Iyad Hardan from the Islamic Jihad and the arrest of Fateh activists brothers Jad and Hussam al-Malhi. Their insolence reached the point of setting an ambush to the Palestinian security delegation at Bet Hanoun checkpoint.

The National and Islamic Forces call on the PNA to release all detainees arrested on political grounds and demand the need to strike the collaborators and spies with an iron fist, arrest them, bring them to trial, and punish them severely in order to deter their dangers in assassinating Palestinian strugglers through collaboration with the Zionist Intelligence.

The National and Islamic Forces affirm the constants of the Intifada, the Intifada of al-Aqsa, al-Quds, Independence, and return. The forces are looking forward to see a Palestinian-Arab official position that isolates the government of Sharon and expose its Zionist nature in preparation for its collapse and eliminate occupation from all Palestinian territories.

The National and Islamic Forces warn of Sharon's attempts to desecrate the sanctity of the Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock under the alleged right of Jews' visit to the Aqsa Mosque under the Israeli security and army. This is an attempt that requires confrontations at the Palestinian, Arab, and Islamic and Christian levels because it is a violation of the sanctity of the Holy Sites and an attempt to impose the current state of aggression on the Ibrahimi Mosque.

The National and Islamic Forces call on all Arab and Islamic political parties and forces to form regional, national, and Islamic committees to support the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, the Intifada and protect the Aqsa Mosque.

In reinforcing democracy, the National and Islamic Forces call upon the Ministry of Higher Education and all forces to unite efforts towards conducting the elections of student council at universities and avoid disrupting the democratic life in the student arena.

The National and Islamic forces extend to our masses in the Christian sects and communities congratulations and blessings on Easter.

The National and Islamic Forces salute the brothers in the Socialist Arab Ba'th Party on the 54th anniversary of establishing the Party; the Forces also salute the Arab Liberation Front on the 32nd anniversary of establishing the Front which coincided on April 7, 2001. The Forces also salute the brothers at the Popular Front - General Command - on the anniversary of the Front, which coincides on April 13, 2001.

The National and Islamic Forces call upon our masses and the Arab nation to participate in the following activities:

1- Tuesday, April 10, 2001, a day of honoring martyrs on the occasion of the martyrs of Der Yaseen and the Qastal Battle and its martyr Abdul Qader Husseini, and the Fardan Crime and its martyrs Abu Yousef Najjar, Kamal Udwan and Kamal Naser and the martyrs of Ein Rumanna martyrs; the activities honoring martyrs on these occasions will be expressed in the manner as seen appropriate in each district and region.

2- Friday, April 13, 2001, a day of protecting the Aqsa, a day to condemn the continuous Zionist aggression on the Islamic and Christian sites and call on the national and Islamic forces to move with masses to support the Intifada and protect the Aqsa; this will be expressed in marches in the homeland and through heading to the Aqsa Mosque for prayers.

The National and Islamic Forces look forward to see an active role by our Arab and Islamic masses; the forces salute the mass moves that support the Intifada of our people in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, that came in response to the calls of the Intifada of al-Aqsa to the Arab masses for solidarity and support at all levels despite the attempts of some regimes to disrupt this solidarity.

The National and Islamic forces salute and appreciate the step of the Egyptian Committee in support to the Intifada who express their solidarity through their hunger strike for the seventh day now.

The National and Islamic Forces call upon the Coordination Committees in the districts to hold popular conferences and invite the masses to them.
 
 

Long live the blessed Intifada
Glory and eternity for our martyrs
Fast recovery to the injured and freedom for our heroic prisoners
It is an Intifada until victory
 

The National and Islamic Forces