FEATURED NEWS: Statement of the General Delegation of the PLO to the US in Commemoration of Deir Yassin

April 8, 2011

FEATURED NEWS:

Statement of the General Delegation of the PLO to the US in Commemoration of Deir Yassin

The General Delegation of the PLO would like to reiterate our determination to continue the struggle to achieve our independence and freedom. The massacre of Deir Yassin, perpetrated by the Lehi and Irgun gangs, were aimed at forcing the Palestinians to leave their homeland and to instill fear in the hearts of innocent civilians. Today, the Israeli government is using different tactics to achieve the same objective of emptying the land of its indigenous people. They are doing so by: building settlements, confiscating land, performing ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem, laying siege to Gaza, and the continuing to oppress the Palestinian people through the Israeli military occupation. Despite these tactics which make the lives of Palestinians difficult and unbearable, the Palestinian people are determined to stay on their land and resist Israeli attempts to uproot them.

Tomorrow is an occasion to once again, remind ourselves that the only path to achieving our goals and objectives of self-determination, statehood and independence is through unity. If we remain divided, it will be difficult to oppose Israeli policies and schemes, much less realize and achieve our national rights. Let tomorrow be a day to remember the martyrs of Deir Yassin and all other Palestinian martyrs who gave their lives to pave the way for a better future for their children. We urge the Palestinian-American Community to rise above their differences and join hands in defending and promoting the interests of the Palestinian people in the United States by becoming engaged and active in US political system.