Abbas: No One will Enjoy Stability as long as Gaza Children Do not
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RAMALLAH, July 23, 2014 – (WAFA - PLO news agency) – President Mahmoud Abbas
stated Tuesday evening that Palestinians ‘would never forget nor forgive’
and would ‘never kneel except for God’, adding that nobody will enjoy
stability as long as Gaza children do not.

Abbas made his comments during the opening speech addressing members of
Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in an emergency meeting at the
Presidential headquarters in Ramallah.

Here are the full address delivered by Abbas as published on Al-Quds
website, noting that some slight changes were introduced into the
translation.

In the Name of God the Most Merciful , the Most Compassionate

“From the first moment of the brutal Israeli offensive against the
Palestinian people in Gaza, Jerusalem and the West Bank, we have raised our
voices on the need to halt the aggression. We have made regional and
international contacts for this and we asked President Sisi in particular to
help stop the assault and the bloodshed of our people. He responded and
presented an initiative that includes an immediate ceasefire and action to
lift the siege, open the border crossings and all the other obligations.

We went to Egypt, where we held talks with President Sisi and with
Palestinian factions including Hamas and Jihad. We went to Turkey and Qatar,
where we continued to work with the Turkish and Qatari leaders and we met
with Khaled Meshaal all in order to halt Israel’s onslaught and to reach a
ceasefire and then to lift the siege, preserve fishermen rights, open the
border crossings, cancel the so-called buffer zone, release the Shalit-deal
prisoners and the fourth batch of veteran prisoners, including arrested
parliamentarians, bring in humanitarian assistance and hold a donor
conference for the rebuilding of Gaza.

It is time that we all raise our rightful voices in the face of Israel’s
killing and destruction machine. Israeli forces have crossed all lines and
broken all international laws and humanitarian values with the utmost
brutality. We know we do not have planes or artillery tanks but what we have
is stronger than this fire power and arrogance. We have the strength of
righteousness and justice; we are the owners of this right that no force on
earth can erase; it is a historical right baptized with heavy sacrifices. We
have our unity and our resolve and so I call on all to rise above our
differences at this difficult time and have national responsibility, stay
away from narrow factionalism and realize that the main goal of this Israeli
onslaught is to destroy our national cause and abort reconciliation.

We reiterate to our people that we are committed to national unity and
ending the split and the national consensus government. We will go to the
far side of the world to stop this onslaught and retake our legitimate
rights. We will pursue those who commit war crimes against our people no
matter how long it takes. These crimes will not go unpunished.

I repeat the importance of getting the Palestinian cause out of any
tug-of-wars and to halt this policy of double standards because one drop of
blood from a Palestinian child is more precious to us than anything in the
world.

To our people in Gaza: your pain is our pain and the pain of the entire
people and your suffering has dug a deep wound in our hearts. We have no
words to explain what we are feeling. Your wounds are our wounds and our
anger is huge. We will never forget nor forgive and our people will not
kneel to anyone but God. No one in the world will enjoy stability and safety
if this is not granted to the children of Gaza, Jerusalem, the West Bank and
all of Palestine’s children.

Glory and eternity to our faithful martyrs. Right, justice and the
Palestinian people’s will will emerge victorious. We will not be terrorized
by killing nor destruction. We will rebuild what the aggression has
destroyed and we will mend our wounds until our inevitable victory arrives
and our flag waves over our capital Jerusalem at the Aqsa Mosque and the
Holy Sepulcher.

“Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because
they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory.”

K.F./T.R.