Simone Lawson
The Palestinian National Charter, also known as the Palestinian National Covenant, has been a source of controversy due to its call for the destruction of Israel and the removal of Jews from their ancestral homeland. The Charter, which dates back to 1968, has faced repeated calls for amendment, but it remains unchanged as of 2009. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), representing the Palestinian revolutionary forces, is responsible for the liberation and retrieval of their homeland, as outlined in the Charter. The PLO signed the Oslo Accords with Israel in 1993, establishing limited PLO governance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Despite these political developments, the question of whether the Palestinian Constitution calls for the destruction of Israel remains a contentious issue.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Palestine 2003 (rev. 2005) Constitution |
| Calls for the destruction of Israel | Yes |
| Calls for the elimination of Israel by military means | Yes |
| Calls for the exodus of Jews from their homeland | Yes |
| Refers to the 1947 partition of Palestine and the establishment of Israel as illegal | Yes |
| Refers to the Palestinian Liberation Organization | Yes |
| Refers to the right of return and self-determination | Yes |
| Refers to the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital | Yes |
| Refers to the election of the President of the Palestinian National Authority | Yes |
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What You'll Learn
The Palestinian National Charter
The Charter asserts that Palestine, with the borders from the British Mandate period, is the indivisible homeland of the Palestinian people. It considers the establishment of the state of Israel as entirely illegal and calls for the elimination of Zionism from the Middle East. This position has been a point of contention, with PLO leaders like Yasser Arafat acknowledging Israel's right to exist and seeking to amend the Charter to reflect this recognition.
The Charter underwent extensive amendments in 1968, with a focus on the independent national identity and vanguard role of the Palestinian people in their "liberation of their homeland" through armed struggle. Further amendments were made in 1996 to nullify articles that contradicted the Oslo Accords and the mutual recognition between Israel and the PLO. Yasser Arafat's letters to world leaders in 1998 confirmed these amendments, listing the specific articles that were nullified or partially nullified.
Overall, the Palestinian National Charter outlines the goals and principles of the Palestine Liberation Organization and its vision for the liberation and self-determination of the Palestinian people. While it initially took a hardline stance against the existence of Israel, amendments have been made over time to acknowledge Israel's right to exist and seek peaceful resolution to the conflict.
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Calls for Israel's elimination
The Palestinian National Charter, established in 1968, has been criticized for calling for the destruction of Israel and the removal of Jews from their ancestral homeland. Despite repeated assurances to amend it, the Charter remains unchanged as of 2019.
The Charter states that the partition of Palestine in 1947 and the establishment of the state of Israel are "entirely illegal" and "null and void," as they were contrary to the will and natural right of the Palestinian people in their homeland. It also deems the Balfour Declaration, the Mandate for Palestine, and everything based on them as invalid.
The Charter further asserts that Judaism, being a religion, does not constitute an independent nationality, and that Jews do not form a single nation with their own identity. It rejects all solutions that are substitutes for the "total liberation" of Palestine.
The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), as per the Charter, is responsible for the Palestinian Arab people's movement in its struggle to retrieve its homeland, liberate and return to it, and exercise self-determination. This includes all military, political, and financial fields. The PLO is to cooperate with all Arab states and adopt a neutral policy among them.
The Charter calls for unity among the Palestinian people and between the Palestinian people and the Arab masses to secure the continuation and victory of the revolution. Commando action is seen as the nucleus of the Palestinian popular liberation war, requiring escalation, comprehensiveness, and mobilization of educational and popular efforts.
While there have been attempts to amend the Charter, such as the Palestinian National Council's decision in 1996, these efforts have not been successful. In 1998, President Clinton acknowledged the rejection of passages in the Palestinian Charter calling for Israel's destruction, referring to them as "the ideological underpinnings of a struggle renounced at Oslo."
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The Palestinian Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is a Palestinian nationalist coalition that is internationally recognized as the official representative of the Palestinian people in both the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the diaspora. It was founded in 1964 to centralize the leadership of various Palestinian groups that had previously operated as clandestine resistance movements. The PLO's stated "complementary goals" were Arab unity and the liberation of Palestine through the elimination of Israel. The PLO began its militancy campaign with an attack on Israel's National Water Carrier in January 1965, using guerrilla tactics to attack Israel from bases in Jordan (including the West Bank), Lebanon, Egypt (Gaza Strip), and Syria. The PLO's legislature, the Palestine National Council (PNC), composed of members from various Palestinian communities, set out the goals of the organization, which included the complete elimination of Israeli sovereignty in Palestine and the destruction of the State of Israel.
The PLO is an umbrella organization that includes numerous resistance movements, political parties, and popular organizations. It was designed as a government-in-exile, with the PNC serving as the highest authority and an executive government (EC) elected by the PNC. The PLO has been headquartered in Jordan, Lebanon, and Tunis, and is currently represented by the Palestinian Authority based in the West Bank city of Al-Bireh. In 1993, PLO chairman Yasser Arafat officially recognized the State of Israel, leading to Israel's recognition of the PLO as a legitimate authority representing the Palestinian people and the signing of the Oslo Accords. The PLO endorsed a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel in 1988 and has been a full member of the Asia group since 1986.
The PLO has been recognized by the Arab League and the United Nations General Assembly as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people." It has participated in UN activities under observer status since 1974 and has been admitted to debate in the UN Security Council. The PLO is governed internally by its Basic Law, which outlines the powers and relations between its organs. The Central Council (CCC), a decision-making body elected by the PNC, and the Executive Committee (EC), elected by either the PNC or CCC, are two key governing bodies within the PLO.
The PLO has been the dominant political force in the Palestinian Authority (PA), which it established in 1994 in coordination with Israel per the Oslo Accords. The PLO comprises various political factions, excluding Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and has promoted a distinctively Palestinian agenda since the defeat of Arab states by Israel in the Six-Day War of June 1967. The influence of more militant and independent-minded groups within the PLO has waxed and waned over time, with Fatah emerging as the preeminent faction within the PLO in 1968.
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The Palestinian Legislative Council
The Basic Law reflects the collective conscience of the Palestinian people, encompassing their spiritual beliefs, national faith, and nationalist loyalty. It is a temporary framework that respects the Palestinian people's will, rights, and continuous struggle for self-determination. The law also acknowledges the historical attachment of the Arab Palestinian people to their ancestral land, as expressed in their Declaration of Independence.
The Palestinian National Charter, separate from the Basic Law, has been a source of controversy. Despite assurances to amend it, the charter has remained unchanged since 1968, calling for Israel's elimination. However, in 1996, the Palestinian National Council voted overwhelmingly to amend the charter, and in 1998, President Clinton acknowledged their rejection of passages in the charter that called for Israel's destruction.
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The Palestinian National Council
The Palestinian National Charter, established in 1968, outlines the principles and goals of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in its struggle to retrieve and liberate Palestine. It asserts that the partition of Palestine in 1947 and the establishment of the state of Israel were illegal and contrary to the will and rights of the Palestinian people, as well as inconsistent with the principles of the UN Charter, particularly the right to self-determination.
The Charter calls for the liberation of Palestine through an armed struggle, which is deemed the only way to achieve this goal. It emphasizes the unity and mobilization of the Palestinian people, as well as their belief in Arab unity and principles such as justice, freedom, sovereignty, and human dignity.
The Palestine Liberation Organization, as the representative of the Palestinian revolutionary forces, is responsible for leading the movement to retrieve and liberate Palestine. This includes working across military, political, and financial fields, as well as cooperating with other Arab states while maintaining a neutral policy among them.
In 2003, a provisional Basic Law was established as a step towards achieving the national and historical rights of the Arab Palestinian people. This included the right to continue striving for self-determination and the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. The Basic Law aimed to unify legislation and law for the Palestinian national homeland, addressing public and personal rights and liberties to achieve justice and equality for all.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the Palestine 2003 (rev. 2005) Constitution does not call for the destruction of Israel. However, the 1968 Palestinian National Charter, or Covenant, does call for Israel's elimination by any military means.
The Palestine 2003 (rev. 2005) Constitution is a temporary Basic Law for a transitional and interim period. It establishes the Palestinian Legislative Council and sets out rules and principles to address public and personal rights and liberties in a manner that achieves justice and equality for all, without discrimination.
Despite repeated assurances to amend it, the Palestinian National Charter remains unchanged. In 1998, President Clinton declared to the Palestinian National Council in Gaza: "I thank you for your rejection—fully, finally and forever—of the passages in the Palestinian Charter calling for the destruction of Israel." However, the World Union for Progressive Judaism stated in 2019 that the Charter had still not been amended.
