Arafat Urges Palestinians to Continue Struggle Against Israeli Occupation

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat Tuesday urged the Palestinians to continue their struggle against Israeli occupation until raising the Palestinian national flags in the Holy places in Jerusalem.

In a televised address to the Palestinian people to mark the 53 anniversary of the Nakba Day, or Catastrophe Day, the Arabic term for the day of the establishment of Israel in 1948, Arafat demanded that Israel pull out from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem and withdraw to the border before the 1967 Mideast War.

Arafat stressed that without Israel's recognition of the right of return of Palestinian refugees, who was forced to leave their homes as a result the 1948 and 1967 Mideast wars, there would be no peace with Israel.

Arafat said that his people would not surrender. "Faith, faith, courage, courage, stand strong in the face of this increasing aggression for the sake of freedom," Arafat said.

He also called on the international community to send observing forces to the area to protect the Palestinian civilians from Israeli fire, a demand repeatedly rejected by Israel.

The taped address was broadcast by the Palestinian state television station as the Palestinian leader had left for Cairo Tuesday morning.

Shortly before Arafat's address, a three-minute siren was sounded at 12 a.m. (0900 GMT) in the Palestinian-controlled areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and Palestinians stood still for a moment of silence to mark the Nakba Day.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians, chanting "no surrender" and waving Palestinian flags, marched in towns across the occupied

territories.

During the rallies, several old refugees demonstrated the keys to their homes in what is now Israel, and Palestinian security forces fired in the air to express their anger.

Israeli Arabs also held rallies to show their support to their

Palestinian brothers and express their hope for more equality in

the Jewish-dominated society.

Israeli soldiers and policemen have been on red alert since Tuesday morning. Israeli army sources said that the forces have beefed up its deployment along the Green Line between Israel and the West Bank and Gaza Strip and other major possible friction points, bracing for confrontations at those points.

The army and police have cancelled leaves for soldiers and policemen, and orders were issued that if situation needs, brigade commanders on alert will take command from junior officers immediately.

The yearly observance of the Nakba Day has particular a meaning for the Palestinians, who have been engaged with Israelis in bloody clashes in the past seven and half months.

Over 500 people have been killed and more than 20,000 wounded in the violence, most of them Palestinians.






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