Editorial - Israel And The PLO

by Joseph Hunting

At first it seemed too good to be true: at long last the P.L.O. has renounced all forms of terrorism, and it has also agreed to acknowledge the existence of the state of Israel.

So in the light of this apparent about-face by the P.L.O. America has decided to have dialogue with them, whilst almost all the other nations, great and small, have condemned Israel for its refusal to go along with the P.L.O. plan for a Palestinian state occupying Gaza and the area God granted to Israel's forefathers known as Judaea and Samaria, with Jerusalem as its capital.

But does the P.L.O. mean what it says? Regarding the all-important U.N. resolutions 242 and 338 Arafat said on the Baghdad Voice of the P.L.O.: "Our constants consist of the Palestinian National Council resolutions. These resolutions emphasize the Palestinian people's national and political rights, foremost being their right to repatriation, self-determination and the establishment of a Palestinian state on Palestinian soil WITH JERUSALEM AS ITS CAPITAL" (caps ours). Would not Jordan be a more suitable Palestinian state, seeing that 70% of its inhabitants are native Palestinians? Certainly Amman would be a more suitable Palestinian capital that Jerusalem.

Abu Iyad, P.L.O. second-in-command says that the State of Israel is "entirely illegal regardless of the passage of time".

Leila Khaled, plane hi-jacker and terrorist says, "Our first objective is to return to Nablus (Shechem), and then move on to Tel Aviv. The day we achieve independence will signify the defeat of Israel as a state."

Sheikh Abd al-Hamid Sayekh, Chairman of the Palestine National Council, said: "... the P.L.O. has embarked on the road that will lead to the realization of the right of return ... Its aim is to retrieve all the Palestinian land, which is a natural right."

I have no doubt that the P.L.O. claim for a Palestinian state on the soil of Judaea and Samaria and Gaza, will be debated ad nauseum, and Arafat will be hailed as the Arab "prince of peace".

Nevertheless the God of Israel deeded this territory to Israel and confirmed it with a covenant as He did concerning Jerusalem as Israel's capital. When the chips are down Israel can depend upon God to confirm His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

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