Interview with Abu Ahmad Fuad: Those who want to disarm the resistance will be defeated

Al-Quds News Network conducted an exclusive interview with Comrade Abu Ahmad Fuad, Deputy General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, in Istanbul where he spoke on the Palestinian national struggle and challenges following the aggression on Gaza.

Below is the interview text:

Q. After the PFLP’s recent elections and conference, is there a renewal of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, commensurate with this period of change?

A. The Seventh Conference of the PFLP has produced quite a bit, especially in regard to the political program in regard to the developments in the region. In addition to this, there are new internal frameworks developed by the conference, which elected a new leadership. Looking at these elections, there was a renewal rate of 60-65% in the governing bodies of the Front, the Central Committee and Political Bureau, in addition to increasing the number of young people in the Front’s leadership, there are three women elected to the Political Bureau and no less than 20 militant Palestinian women in the Central Committee, which is not the case in other Palestinian factions. The conference did recognize the role of young people and of women, but we recognize that more is needed on this front, as simply using an electoral process does not guarantee the true inclusion and full voice of young people and of women. In regard to the position of the Front, it is not much different than that it has held continuously, but does take into account the developments which have occurred, including the internal Palestinian division and how we are addressing this...

...Q. The Palestinian Authority derives its legitimacy from the PLO, and is engaging in all practices rejected by the Front, from the negotiations, to security coordination, and other such actions. The PFLP is an essential part of the PLO, would you expect one day for the Front to take a bold step to withdraw from the PLO in the event of failure to respond to its demands and go to a unified national framework to withdraw any legitimacy from such practices?

A. The Palestinian Authority is a reality, but we do not recognize it as legitimate. It is unfortunate that the results of the first intifada and the second have been embodied in this caricature of sovereignty. The entire Palestinian people does not trust the Authority. We say the Oslo agreement must be cancelled, we have taken this position at the PLO Central Council, and the PFLP delegation walked ou tof the Central Council meeting; the PLO leadership then stopped inviting Comrade Khalida Jarrar to the meetings, and acted to prevent the Front from exercising its rights in the PLO. Abu Mazen said this is because we withdrew from the meeting, but we withdrew from the meeting because we refuse to be listed as a party to negotiations or approval of negotiations.

The PFLP is engaged in conflict and struggle within the PLO, but on the basis of unity. There is a big difference between the PLO and some of its institutions, and if the situation were necessary to take this position, we would continue to have a relationship with the institutions of the PLO, but until this moment, the option we would prefer is to unify our efforts and positions for national struggle.