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The Palestinian civil society delegation to the Forum for a
Just Peace in the Middle East, planned for December 14 to 16 in Madrid, has
decided not to participate in the Forum due to serious last-minute violations. Coordinators of the delegation, which was to
be led by the Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO), learned last night that due to
unprecedented pressure from the Israeli establishment, a substantial Israeli
delegation (different from the progressive civil society Israeli delegation led
by the Alternative Information Center (AIC), scheduled to participate in the
Forum) was undemocratically and underhandedly “invited” to participate in the
Forum without endorsing the Forum's Reference Document [1]. This is
not only a significant breach of the key rule of participation; it is a
contravention of the express will of the overwhelming majority of the International Committee, the decision-making steering committee of the conference.
The International Committee, which includes representatives
of PNGO, the AIC, and other key Arab and international civil society networks,
decided as far back as July that any group that wishes to take part in the
Forum must first endorse the Reference Document as a necessary condition
of participation. This Reference Document articulates the consensus
principles agreed upon by the diverse international groups organizing the Forum,
and projects an alternative vision for justice and peace based on international
law and universal human rights. We, and virtually all of our partners, view the
violation of this basic criterion as an undemocratic, unprofessional and
utterly unacceptable attempt by some to impose governmental will on a
distinguished civil society initiative. Protesting this infringement of
democratic principles and recognizing that it effectively opens the door to the
possibility of imposing an agenda at odds with the Forum’s vision, several of
our local and international partners have also decided to withdraw. These
include the Israeli delegation led by the AIC, the Occupied Syrian Golan-Heights
delegation, as well as many Arab and international figures and institutions.
We are deeply disappointed, saddened and surprised by this
not-so-innocently-timed turn of events. We sincerely regret that an otherwise
truly inspiring and democratically-organized initiative advocating peace based
on justice and solidarity between nations has been hijacked by outside groups
that, after failing to influence the progressive and visionary political
platform of the Forum, resorted to an undemocratic coup to impose their will. Their
political agenda essentially contradicts the basic principle that only peace built on
justice, international law and human rights, as outlined in the Forum’s
Reference Document, can be viable, equitable and sustainable.
We deeply appreciate the Spanish civil society
organizations' noble and untiring efforts in organizing this Forum in the most
professional, progressive and inclusive way. They are our partners for the long
haul in the struggle against the forces of occupation, racism and imperial
hegemony. We share with them our aspirations for a just peace.
[1] http://www.foroporlapaz.org/upload/documentos/D0005-07_Reference_doc_FINAL_EN.pdf
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