Memorandum from members of Congress, October 23, 2007, regarding Fatah Party and Israel (2 pages)

C o n g r e s s of the United S t a t e s W a s h i n g t o n , DC 20515 THE FATAH PARTY MUST RESCIND CALLS FOR ISRAEL TO BE "DEMOLISHED" COSPONSOR H.RES. 758 October 23, 2007 Dear Colleague: If you were asked which of the parties representing Palestinian interests is most likely to support political reconciliation with Israel, what would you say? Since the electoral victory of Hamas, and its subsequent takeover of Gaza, the Fatah Party headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has gone out of its way to convince the international community that it represents the best hope for reconciliation and should be given additional resources to carry out its goals. The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank recently installed a well-respected Palestinian technocrat as its prime minister and is taking steps to create institutions that resemble responsible government entities. But what most people don't know is that the Fatah Party's constitution, or party platform, still contains no fewer than 10 clauses calling for the destruction of Israel and terrorism against Israel, as well as expressing opposition to any political solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. We recently introduced a resolution calling upon President Abbas, in his capacity as leader of the Fatah Party, to abrogate these ten clauses. Regardless of your position on the outcome of any negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, it is unacceptable that the primary Palestinian negotiating party continues to call for the destruction of Israel. Please join us in cosponsoring H.Res. 758. To be added as a cosponsor, or if you have any questions, please contact Brian Diffell with Rep. Blunt at 5-0197 or Jeremy Kadden with Rep. Berkley at 5-5965. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER The 10 offending clauses in the Fatah Constitution are as follows (1) Article (4): The Palestinian struggle is part and parcel of the world-wide struggle against Zionism, colonialism and international imperialism. (2) Article (7): The Zionist Movement is racial, colonial and aggressive in ideology, goals, organization and method. (3) Article (8): The Israeli existence in Palestine is a Zionist invasion with a colonial expansive base, and it is a natural ally to colonialism and international imperialism. (4) Article (12): Complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist economic, political, military and cultural existence. (5) Article (17): Armed public revolution is the inevitable method to liberating Palestine. (6) Article (19): Armed struggle is a strategy and not a tactic, and the Palestinian Arab People's armed revolution is a decisive factor in the liberation fight and in uprooting the Zionist existence, and this struggle will not cease unless the Zionist state is demolished and Palestine is completely liberated. (7) Article (22): Opposing any political solution offered as an alternative to demolishing the Zionist occupation in Palestine, as well as any project intended to liquidate the Palestinian case or impose any international mandate on its people. (8) Article (23): Maintaining relations with Arab countries . . . with the provision that the armed struggle is not negatively affected. (9) Article (24): Maintaining relations with all liberal forces supporting our just struggle in order to resist together Zionism and imperialism. (10) Article (25): Convincing concerned countries in the world to prevent Jewish immigration to Palestine as a method of solving the problem.