PFLP mourns the struggling martyr, Comrade Yousef Kashour of Abu Dis

PFLP MOURNS THE STRUGGLING MARTYR, COMRADE YOUSEF KASHOUR OF ABU DIS

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine salutes the masses of the Palestinian people on the occasion of the martyrdom of our comrade, Yousef Aziz Kashour, 19, of the village of Abu Dis east of Jerusalem, who was slain by occupation forces on Saturday, July 22 during confrontations with the Zionist occupation in Abu Dis in defense of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa.

The PFLP salutes the martyr and confirms that he is descended from a struggling family in al-Saadia neighborhood, a neighborhood of the old city of occupied Jerusalem. He has been involved in national struggle and resistance to occupation since his youngest days. He joined the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and was given membership at an earlier age due to his dedication and commitment. He was responsible for the Front in his village and then assumed responsibility for the media activities, including maintaining the local social media accounts of the Front in Abu Dis, in addition to his activity in youth organizations.

The martyr was characterized by his high morals, commitment, bravery and courage. He was determined never to desert a confrontation with the occupation and to continually resist the occupation soldiers who attempt to invade the area with stones and Molotov cocktails. His bravery in the arena of confrontation and his appearance in the red kuffiyeh became an image of interest in the media, including international press, and of pride for the Palestinian people.

The martyred comrade developed these qualities amid his struggling family, including his father, a longtime Palestinian national struggler with a serious injury to his hand. His father was imprisoned by the occupation under a life sentence until he was freed in the 1985 prisoner exchange agreement. His uncle and many of his family members were killed, wounded and imprisoned defending Jerusalem and Palestine.

The Front expresses its deepest condolences to the family of the martyr and his friends and comrades in Abu Dis, Jerusalem and all of its neighborhoods on the occasion of his martyrdom. It pledges to remain committed to the same principles and values of national liberation that the martyr held dear, and to struggle until the achievement of the right of our people to return to their homeland and the full liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea.

Glory to the martyrs, and victory is inevitable!

PFLP HAILS PALESTINIAN KILLED BY ISRAELI FORCES IN AL-EIZARIYA CLASHES

PFLP HAILS PALESTINIAN KILLED BY ISRAELI FORCES IN AL-EIZARIYA CLASHES

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) expressed its “deepest condolences” on Sunday over the death of one of its members, Yousif Abbas Kashur, who was killed by Israeli forces during clashes on Saturday in the central occupied West Bank town of al-Eizariya.

A day after widespread demonstrations across the occupied Palestinian territory were violently repressed, leaving three Palestinians killed and hundreds of others injured, and three Israeli settlers killed by a Palestinian, clashes continued on Saturday to denounce new Israeli security measures at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem.

Israeli forces shot Kashur and at least one other Palestinian with live bullets during Saturday clashes in al-Eizariya, with Kashur later succumbing to his wounds at the hospital.

The leftist political movement hailed the resident of Abu Dis -- who it said was 19 years old, contrary to earlier reports stating he was 23 -- saying Kashur had been “involved in national struggle and resistance to occupation since his youngest days.”

Kashur died a day after fellow Abu Dis resident Muhammad Khalaf Lafi, a 17-year-old member of leftist movement the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), was killed by Israeli forces during clashes.

The PFLP said that a number of Kashur’s relatives had been wounded or imprisoned by Israeli forces over the years, including his father, who suffered from a hand injury while preparing a bomb, and was sentenced to life in prison before being released in 1985 during a prisoner swap deal.

One of Kashur’s uncles had also been killed by Israeli forces, the group added.

The PFLP said that Kashur’s “dedication and commitment” to the cause led him to be involved in a number of youth organizations, as well as to maintain the social media accounts for the PFLP’s branch in Abu Dis.

“The martyr was characterized by his high morals, commitment, bravery and courage,” the statement read. “He was determined never to desert a confrontation with the occupation and to continually resist the occupation soldiers who attempt to invade the area with stones and Molotov cocktails.”

According to Ma’an documentation, Kashur is one of 50 Palestinians to have been killed by Israelis in 2017 -- 15 of whom were killed in July alone. Thirteen Israelis have been killed by Palestinians in the same time frame.

PFLP: ARRESTS OF OUR LEADERS WILL NOT DETER US FROM CONTINUING RESISTANCE

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine confirmed that the Zionist occupation forces launched a pre-dawn campaign of raids across the occupied West Bank of Palestine on Sunday, arresting a number of leaders and activists of the Front, led by the Palestinian Legislative Council member Khalida Jarrar, feminist activist Khitam Saafin and former prisoner Ihab Massoud, as well as a number of activists in al-Khalil. The Front declared that these attacks will not stop it from continuing its role in resistance to occupation and confronting the crimes and projects that attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause.

The Front emphasized that these arrests only underline the futility of the choices of the Palestinian Authority to continue to bet on settlements, “peace process” and security coordination. It also confirms the correctness of the Front’s position and its continuing struggle to build the resistance and the primary contradiction with the occupation as a major feature of its approach and political positions. 

The Front further stated that these arrests have come after the major campaign of incitement launched by the Zionist entity and its prime minister, the war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu, against the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the resistance factions. 

The PFLP urged the Palestinian masses to escalate the popular movement to support the struggle of the brave prisoners in Israeli jails, for Jarrar and Saafin and the prisoner Muhammad Allan, on hunger strike for 25 days.

The Front promised to continue to defend the rights and principles of the Palestinian people. Continued targeting by the occupation only emphasizes the importance of continuing the path to return and liberation.

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

July 2, 2017

Palestinian labor and women’s organizations stand in solidarity with Jarrar and Saafin

PALESTINIAN LABOR AND WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH JARRAR AND SAAFIN

The Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees issued a statement, condemning the arrest of the president of the UPWC, Khitam Saafin and Palestinian leftist leader and parliamentarian Khalida Jarrar:

The Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees strongly denounces the attack of occupation forces at dawn on Sunday, July 2, to arrest the Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council Khalida Jarrar and the President of the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees, Member of the Secretariat of the General Union of Palestinian Women, and feminist activst Khitam Saafin, after storming and ransacking their homes.

The Union views this ongoing campaign of arrests as part of the continuing crimes of the occupation against the resistance to the occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people.

The Union further confirmed that the political detention of the leaders of the women’s movement is part of many attempts to silence the free Palestinian voice that confrnts the occupation and its attacks on the Palestinian people. It calls on all Arab and international human rights organizatins to act to stop these attacks and demand the immediate release of all Palestinian prisoners.

2 July 2017 

The Progressive Labor Union Front in Palestine also issued a statement on the seizure of Jarrar and Saafin by Israeli occupation forces:

The Progressive Labor Union Front in Palestine condemns the attack of occupation forces who arrested the struggler Khalida Jarrar, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and the struggler Khitam Saafin, president of the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees, along with the continuing extensive detention campaigns that affect all of our people and their strugglers. These arrests are racist, fascist actions aimed at silencing the voices of truth.

The occupation is carrying out a desperate attempt to silence and subjugate the Palestinian people, taking advantage of the prevailing political situation and the humiliating actions of Arab regimes to normalize relations with the Zionist entity alongside the silence of the official Palestinian leadership and identification with the U.S. “requirements” and conditions for American satisfaction with the region.

The Progressive Labor Union Front confirmed that both Khalida Jarrar and Khitam Saafin represent a model of leadership that prioritizes the issues and concerns of the Palestinian people, confronting all forms of political and social oppression.

The Palestinian people have experienced over 100 years of colonization and has confronted and resisted through struggle. Our people are capable of continuing the struggle and will respond to all attempts to undermine their will and steadfastness to seek their legitimate rights.

The Progressive Labor Union Front called on labor and trade union organizations of the world to advocate for freedom, social justice and people’s issues and stand togettogether to demand an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people and the occupation’s racist and fascist attacks on the people and their leaders and strugglers.

2 July 2017

PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP OUTRAGED OVER DETENTION OF MP KHALIDA JARRAR

PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP OUTRAGED OVER DETENTION OF MP KHALIDA JARRAR

Palestinian political leadership has reacted with outrage over the detention of feminist, human rights activist, and Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member Khalida Jarrar, detained by Israeli forces from her home in Ramallah during a predawn military raid on Sunday.

Head of the Palestinian Committee of Prisoners’ Affairs Issa Qaraqe condemned Israel for detaining Jarrar, a member of the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) faction who also heads the the Prisoners' Commission of the PLC, and is vice-chairperson of the board of directors of Palestinian prisoners' rights group Addameer.

Qaraqe said Jarrar's detention, which comes just over a year after she was released from Israeli custody, represented “a violation of international laws and of immunity given to elected Parliament members.” He demanded that all Arab and foreign parliaments intervene and work toward security Jarrar’s release, as well as the release of the 12 other PLC members currently imprisoned by Israel.

According to Qaraqe, Israeli forces have detained around 70 deputies since 2002, equal to about half of the total number of PLC members. He highlighted the targeting of female parliamentarians over the years, who have also included Majida Fida and Samira Halaika.

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi released a statement, in which she also deplored the detention of the chairwoman of the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees Khitam Saafin in Beituniya on the same night Jarrar was detained.

“We protest the arrest of Palestinian lawmakers and women activists, as well as the ongoing detention of Palestinian political and civil society leaders,” Ashrawi wrote, adding that, “Clearly, this political arrest is further proof that the judicial system in Israel has no relation to justice.” 

The PLO Executive Committee member called for Jarrar’s immediate release, saying: “Israel must not be given a free hand to dehumanize the Palestinian people and systematically devalue their basic rights and lives.” 

Responding to the detention raids, the PFLP said, “these attacks will not stop (the PFLP) from continuing its role in resistance to the occupation and confronting the crimes and projects that attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause.”

The PFLP also said that the detentions of Palestinian officials and activists came amid “the major campaign of incitement launched by the Zionist entity and its prime minister, the war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu, against the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the resistance factions.”

The PFLP urged the Palestinian masses to escalate support for political prisoners in Israeli jails, particularly for Jarrar, Saafin, and Muhammad Allan, who has been on hunger strike for 25 days.

Meanwhile, in a statement received by Ma’an, Fatah spokesman Usama al-Qawasmeh slammed an unnamed PFLP leader for allegedly accusing the Palestinian Authority of being involved in Jarrar’s detention.

"While we denounced the detention of lawmaker Jarrar, and while we defend the PFLP in front of the United Nations, we are surprise and we denounce by the strongest terms the comments of a PFLP leader who accused the PA of having a hand in the detention,” al-Qawasmeh said. “This is a shameful attitude inappropriate for the PFLP and its history, and a fabrication based on sinful suspicions."

The Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees “strongly denounced” the arrest of its chairwoman and of Jarrar, in a statement conveyed by Palestinian prisoners’ solidarity network Samidoun.

The union described the political detention of leaders of the women’s movement as “part of many attempts to silence the free Palestinian voice that confronts the occupation and its attacks on the Palestinian people.” 

The Progressive Labor Union Front in Palestine also issued a statement on the seizure of Jarrar and Saafin by Israeli forces. “These arrests are racist, fascist actions aimed at silencing the voices of truth,” it said.

PFLP salutes the struggle in Kafr Qasem to defend Palestinian identity and existence

PFLP salutes the struggle in Kafr Qasem to defend Palestinian identity and existence

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine saluted the Palestinian people of Kafr Qasem in occupied Palestine ’48 and their struggle to defend the Arab and Palestinian identity of their city as they bravely confront the policies of the occupation and its racist laws against Palestinian existence throughout occupied Palestine. 

The Front saluted the martyr of the Palestinian people and of Kafr Qasem, the youth Mohammed Taha, who was killed by occupation forces on Monday evening, June 5, in clashes with the occupier.

The Front considers that the ongoing response of the Palestinian masses throughout the occupied homeland makes clear that despite all desperate attempts to erase Palestinian identity and existence through direct aggression, home demolitions, siege and racist and fascist laws, these attempts have failed before the Palestinian people’s firm adherence to their identity, rights and land.

The Front noted that the heroism of the people of Kafr Qasem is a model that shows a clear alternative to the illusion of settlement, negotiations and security coordination through liquidationist American “solutions.” The inalienable rights of the Palestinian people can only be achieved through confrontation, resistance and insistence on our full national rights in the streets and in the struggle.

PFLP DEMANDS PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY RELEASE YOUTH ACTIVIST NASSAR JARADAT AND END "SECURITY COOPERATION" WITH ISRAEL

PFLP DEMANDS PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY RELEASE YOUTH ACTIVIST NASSAR JARADAT AND END "SECURITY COOPERATION" WITH ISRAEL

"Security services of the Palestinian Authority seized youth activist Nasar Jaradat in Ramallah four days ago. The PFLP stresses that his arrest comes in the context of the suppression of freedom of expression in the Palestinian discourse that directly supports the Israeli occupation.

The PFLP, the second-largest constituent organization of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), stresses that it holds the Palestinian Authority responsible for the continued detention of Jaradat.

The PFLP underpins that this includes the risk of being arrested by the occupation through what the Front describes as the “revolving door policy”, which, over time, has led to the arrest and death of a number of young activists and resistance strugglers.

The PFLP stresses that the arrest of Jaradat by Palestinian Authority security services, for his writing in social media, shows “disregard for the sentiments of the Palestinian people”. 

The Front stresses that the Palestinian Authority should be holding accountable and arresting those who disregard and undermine the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, not those who criticize the policy of security coordination and the Palestinian Authority’s political direction and leadership.

The PFLP also urged human rights organizations to act quickly for the release of Jaradat as well as all other political detainees held by the Palestinian Authority. The Front stressed that the PA’s continued repression is unacceptable."