| SPECIAL PROJECTS | |
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1994
Working Visits
| WORKING VISIT - TWO Date: November 28th -
December 4th. Foreword On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people, 29th November 1994, Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi, Head of PASSIA, received various invitations to go to London and to speak on that occasion and in public meetings during the period, November 28th - December 4th 1994. Day One - Monday 28th November 1994. 1. Time: 11.30 am. Subject: Arrival at Heathrow Airport. Received by the PLO mission. 2. Time: 1.00 - 3.00 pm. Luncheon with Afif Safieh, Head of PLO mission in London. Subject: Review of Current Developments in the OPT. 3. Time: 3.00-4.00 pm. Place: Al-Quds, Arabic Daily newspaper office in London. Meeting with Chief Editor, Abdul Bari Atwan and other journalists. 4. Time: 4.00-6.00 pm. Place: The Royal Institute for International Affairs, Chatham House. Speaker: Dr. Esmat Abed al-Mejid, Director General of the Arab League. Subject: "Integration in the Arab World and Europe". Summary Dr. Mahdi approached his excellency, Dr. Esmat Abed al-Mejid of the Arab League and proposed the re-opening of the Arab League office in Jerusalem, adding that strengthening and promoting Arab institutions and encouraging people to deal directly with Palestinians in Arab Jerusalem will help in the struggle to maintain its Arab Islamic/Christian identity. He said that the re-opening of the Swedish and Turkish Consulate Generals in East Jerusalem should be noted and that transitional period should be used for more political, social and cultural recognition of Palestinians in East Jerusalem. Dr. Abed al-Mejid confirmed his interest and requested a written memo on the subject which will hopefully, be sent directly by President Arafat's office in Gaza and the Orient House in Jerusalem as well as by PASSIA. In his speech, Dr. Abed al-Mejid emphasised his official statement made at the Casablanca conference earlier in the month in which he pointed out that normalisation with Israel should not proceed while occupation over Palestinians remained in place. The Arab League endorses and encourages the peace process but cannot interfere in the policies of individual states on the question of freezing or lifting the boycott policy towards Israel. Questions addressed to Dr. Abed al-Mejid reflected the audience interest in: a) The fact that the Palestine question remains the crux of the Arab Israeli conflict; b) future security in the region (the Gulf countries vis-a-vis the crisis in Yemen; the embargo on Iraq; regional economical cooperation as a base for stability and security); c) assisting the Iraqi people without serving the regime of Saddam Hussein; d) The Jordan-Israel peace treaty and its impact on the course of Syrian- Lebanon-Israel relations; e) The divided Arab world and the limited role the Arab league can play. The Lord Hylton, independent member of the House of Lords, asked Dr. Abdul Hadi how he evaluated the position of Hamas if elections were to be held. He also asked what would be the outcome if a referendum on Arafat's leadership was held, especially given the recent incident in Gaza. Dr. Abdul Hadi said that based on recent polls and debate within the Palestinian house, support for Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Islamic groups is currently standing at around 30-35%. However, if there was a referendum on Chairman Arafat he would, without doubt, receive 65% support. This would most probably be rectified and announced as 77% but Arafat is too astute to make it 99.9%. 4. Time: 7.00-8.00 pm. Place: Hotel Conference Room. Reception in honour of Dr. Esmat Abed al-Mejid. Attended by Arab Diplomats and major UK and European institutions in London. Summary With His Excellency, Abdallah Ibn Mohamed al-Dhahab, ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman, London, Dr. Abdul Hadi discussed the impact of the peace process on Arab states. His Excellency, the ambassador, mentioned that some officials from his country had asked Chairman Arafat's office for the Palestinian position on opening an Omani diplomatic mission or consultation office in the OPT. He said that they had been informed that an office should be opened in Gaza. The ambassador emphasised the importance of maintaining dialogue and consultation with the Arab states in order not to leave the door open for misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the Palestinian position. Last year, the ambassador headed the Omani delegation to the multilateral talks on refugees in Tunis. He is to become the Omani ambassador in Washington D.C. as from December 1994. Mr. Gehad Madi, Consul at the Egyptian Embassy in London, showed considerable interest in the question of Jerusalem. He encouraged Dr. Abdul Hadi to send him the memo on re-opening the Arab League office in Jerusalem, as soon as possible. Day Two - 2. Time: 3.00-4.00 pm. Place: BBC Television studio. Summary It was announced by the BBC that the head of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, and Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres, will be holding another round of talks in Cairo next week to discuss details of implementation for the 2nd phase of the agreement on Palestinian autonomy. Arafat and Peres met yesterday in Brussels to discuss the same issue and to encourage the donor countries, among which is the European Union, to fulfill their promises for financial support for Palestinians. The question raised by the BBC was why the donor countries are reluctant to release the financial support for Palestinians. Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi answered by pointing out that when Ben Gurion formed the first Israeli transitional government in 1948, he was not subjected to the strict conditions and delays to which Arafat is being subjected. The policies of Washington and Tel Aviv are putting pressure on the PNA leadership to make more concessions during the Transitional Phase. Foremost among these is the desire that the Islamic Movement be crushed and that the PNA should be less demanding on the conditions for election. Long before the formation of the PNA the European Union would tell Palestinians that agreements could not be signed nor funds transferred since you don't have a government and Europe will deal only with governments. Today the Palestinians have a recognised transitional Authority with various ministries, and the door is open for negotiation, agreement and transference of financial support for governmental projects and plans. Last year, Palestinians lost one billion dollars of pledged aid simply because the donors claimed there was no address to which it could sent, no transparency and no accountability for donated funds. The complicated bureaucracy among the donors combined with their lack of full understanding of the complicity of issues facing the PNA, is delaying the crucial development currently needed. Another point discussed by Dr. Abdul Hadi was the issue of Israel sealing the houses of the families of the three Palestinians accused of kidnapping Israeli soldier, Nahshon Wachsman. He pointed out that the Kiryat Arba house of Baruch Goldstein, perpetrator of the Hebron massacre was untouched and two of the three kidnappers and Wachsman himself were killed as a result of Israeli troops storming the building in which Wachsman was being held. Day Three - Wednesday 30th November 1994. 1. Time: 12.00 am. Place: Four Seasons Hotel. Speaker: Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi. Subject: "The PNA and Electoral Negotiations". Summary This occasion was a lunch attended by Arab and Palestinian Businessmen among whom were George S. Zakhem (Lebanon), Chairman of Zakhem International Construction Ltd; Amar Khayyat (Iraq), Member of Arab Thought Forum, Amman; Mr. Shakshir (Palestinian) member of the Welfare Association in Geneva; Basel Aqel (Palestinian) affiliated with the Mr. Hasib Sabbah group, London. Major points raised concerned: 1. The new system of banking in the OPT and attitudes to the Arab, Jordan and Cairo Amman banks. Regarding the Palestinian authority, represented by the ministry of finance, economy and PECDAR, it was asked if there existed or was likely to be a power struggle or a conflict of interests between them and the Ministry and Planning and Co-operation. 2. Regarding Arafat's authority and the group assisting him, it was asked if the situation in Lebanon was reflected or if there was a successful adaptation to intifada society. 3. The Palestinian security apparatus, media censorship and human rights. 4. The future of Hebron and the settler issue. 5. Jerusalem and Israeli policies - the role of Mr. Faisal Husseini was challenged. Although reputed to be in charge of issues in Jerusalem, little action seems to have been taken by Mr. Husseini on these issues. 6. The business community, their activities and associations and the extent to which they can be developed. It was asked if there was any possibility of the Lebanese model (business first and last) being followed. 2. Time: 4.00-6.00 pm. Place: The Grand Committee Room, House of Commons, London. Speakers: Lord Gilmour. Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi. Mr. Afif Safieh. Subject: "Current Profiles and Possible Scenarios: A Palestinian Perspective". Summary Dr. Abdul Hadi presented a paper entitled "Current Profiles and Possible Scenarios: A Palestinian Perspective". For details on this paper see Conferences page **** Other points raised included the question of Jerusalem; the future of Palestinians in Israel; the future of settlers and settlements in the OPT; Arafat's performance in comparison with the grand Mufti of Palestine during the British mandate period; the cry for jihad in the Arab-Islamic world and the future of elections and democratic development. The PLO office in London headed by Mr. Afif Safieh, received several calls of support and encouragement after Dr. Abdul Hadi's speech at the House of Commons. Two Arabic dailies, al-Hayyat and al-Quds, wrote reports on Dr. Abdul Hadi's speech. Some quotations were also used by British journalists for several articles which appeared in British daily newspapers. 3. Time: 6.30-8.00 pm. Place: CAABU Reception attended by Arab Diplomats. Day Four - Thursday 1st December 1994. 1. Time: 9.00 am. Place: Queen Elizabeth II, Conference Centre. Subject: Conference: "Europe and the Arab World: Breaking the Barriers" Sponsored jointly by the League of Arab States and the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) in association with the European Commission. Speaker: Mahdi Abdul Hadi, in place of Ahmad Qreih (Abu All'a). "Regional Development in the Arab World: Change in the Levant". Summary Under the topic "Regional Development in the Arab World: Change in the Levant" and following the first two presentations given by Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi and Abdul Rahman al-Sai (Partner Capital Trust, S.A.), His Excellency Salah Hannachi, Executive Director with Ranking of Minister of State, Tunisian Institute for Strategic Studies and former Minister of State for International Co-operation and Foreign Investment 1992-94, addressed the third plenary session. He spoke for 45 minutes instead of the 10 minutes allotted to other participants and showed various slides focussing on Europe/Arab World co-operation in the past and present. The main message of his presentation was that in the 15th century, in Andalucia, there was no differentiation but serious co-operation between Muslims, Christians and Jews. Today, in the new era of peace we are likely to see the same state of affairs. At the end of his presentation he showed a slide and said: "Here on the Temple Mount, there are three people talking. Who is the Jew, who is the Christian, who is the Muslim? You cannot tell". Dr. Abdul Hadi interrupted loudly saying: "There is no Temple Mount. It is the al-Aqsa mosque, the Dome of the Rock mosque and the Haram a-Sharif compound. There are no Jews in the Haram compound, they are Arab Muslim and Christian people." Dr. Hannachi insisted that it was called the Temple Mount and his source had been Christie's bookshop in the West End in London. Dr. Abdul Hadi re-emphasised that the term "Temple Mount" is an Israeli term being used in the attempt to Judaize the Islamic holy sites. The facts of history, religion and daily life show that it is the al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock mosque in Haram a-Sharif compound. The audience, about 300 people, applauded and shouted in support of Dr. Abdul Hadi's statement. Ghayth N. Armanazi, Head of Mission in the London office of the League of Arab States, and chairman of the session said: "It is not only that Dr. Abdul Hadi comes from Jerusalem and knows better but we all know that the slide shown before us shows the al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock mosque in Haram a-Sharif compound. We do not recognise the Israeli term for the site which is the Temple Mount." Mr. Hannachi recognised that he had made a mistake and revoked his use of the term. At the end of the session Dr. Hannachi and the Tunisian ambassador to London approached Dr. Abdul Hadi, saying: "We the Tunisian people and government are strong supporters of the Palestinians. Your strong reaction to a small mistake put us in a very awkward position and the message we wished to convey to this conference is no longer valid. In this conference, only yourself and Dr. Elias Sabbah, former deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in Lebanon, opposed normalisation with Israel before the end of occupation and you both said it was too early to go ahead with major development projects. Dr. Abdul Hadi responded: "I respect and appreciate the Arab support for Palestinians, particularly for the 12 years our leadership spent in Tunis. This has nothing to do with the serious historic error that has been made. I did not expect a senior scholar and a Muslim Arab to build his presentation on an Israeli source. I take it for granted that all Arabs, Muslims and Christians know the fact that Israeli policies aim to Judaize sites and names in Jerusalem, the Haram a-Sharif compound in particular". Most of the participants thanked Dr. Abdul Hadi for his spontaneous correction and realized that it is the duty of Palestinians to educate and inform all parties concerned about Jerusalem and the struggle which lies ahead. Later on, Mr. Afif Safieh was approached by the Tunisian ambassador in London who complained about Dr. Abdul Hadi's reaction and informing Mr. Safieh that a memo of complaint would be sent to the Tunisian Government, the Arab league and Chairman Arafat's office in Gaza. 2. Time: 12.30 am. Place: The London School of Economics (LSE), hosted by Professor Fred Halliday. Speaker: Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi. Subject: "Institution Building and Democracy in Palestinian Society". Participants: Students and Academics from the LSE. 3. Time: 6.00-8.00. Place: School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. Speaker: Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi. Invitation from the SOAS Student Union. Participants: Students and Academics from SOAS. Day Five - Friday 2nd December 1994. 1. Time: 9.30-10.30 am. Place: Royal Horse Guards Hotel. Subject: Training and Education in International Affairs. Participants: Dr. Rosemary Hollis, Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies (RUSI). Dr. Ahmad Khalidi, Chatham House. Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi, PASSIA. Ms. Jumana Abu Zayyad, PASSIA Fellow studying at Kings College, London. Hashim Abu Sido, PASSIA Fellow studying at Kings College, London. 2. Time: 10.30-11.00 am. Place: Royal Horse Guards Hotel. Subject: President Arafat and the Nobel Peace Prize. Interview with Chinese Television. 3. Time: 12.30-3.00 pm. Place: Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies (RUSI). Subject: Future Joint Project. Participants: Rear Admiral Richard Cobbold, Director, RUSI. Dr. Rosemary Hollis, Director of Middle East Programme, RUSI. Dr. Mustafa Harmaneh, Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies, Amman. Dr. Asher Susser, Head of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, Tel Aviv. Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi, President of PASSIA. Day Six - Saturday 3rd December 1994. 1. Time: 1.00 pm. Place: Luncheon with Afif Safieh and Professor A.B. Zahlan, Member of the Board of Governors, Director, Planning Unit, PECDAR. Summary Professor Zahlan's interest is in the "Twin City" programme and he wishes to develop the twin city network with Palestinian cities. It was suggested that independent liaison committees be formed in cities and towns in the OPT and that they could contact him directly on various issues. At present, the only twinned Palestinian city is Nablus, twinned with Dublin, but little has been done. He requested that Mr. Ghassan Shaka, Mayor of Nablus be encouraged to promote more activity. Day Seven - Sunday 4th December 1994. Time: 6.00 pm - Return to Jerusalem. |