« The Bastille Day »

PARC/ERA/GZ/54/06
Date : July 6, 2006

Subject : The Bastille Day

Dear friends,

On the occasion of the Bastille Day commemorated on July 14, the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC) would like to express its warmest greetings and best wishes to you and to the government and people of France. We are fully aware of the historic significance of this occasion as it marked the end of the king’s arbitrary rule and the beginning of the French great revolution. It marked the end of the Monarchy and the birth of the First Republic. The fall of the Bastille was a proof that power no longer resided in the King as God’s representative, but in the people and is limited by a separation of powers. The storming of the Bastille symbolized liberty, democracy and the struggle against oppression. Thus, French people offered a model to all the nations of Europe and the world.

The Palestinian people think highly of the long- standing contribution to humanity and the eminent achievements that France has made and the distinguished status it has in Europe and across the world. France has committed itself to the core principles and the shared values toward world peace and stability. It has been actively engaged in the international efforts in support of Israeli- Palestinian peace based on the recognition of Palestinian rights particularly to self determination and the return of the refugees.

We highly appreciate France unshaken stance towards the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people endorsed and upheld by the international humanitarian law and UN resolutions. We are exceptionally appreciative of the continued support and wonderful contribution that has been made to our people particularly to PARC by the government and people of France. We pride ourselves over the long deep friendship and partnership relations that PARC has built with the Consulate General of France, the Social Development Fund, the CCFD, the Platform of French NGOs, CIMADE and other solidarity and fair trade organizations.

On behalf of tens of thousands of farmers, women and youths affiliated with our organization, we wish to invite your urgent attention to the existing humanitarian crisis in the OPT. The currently carried out terrorist attacks by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian population and civilian infrastructures in Gaza Strip and many parts of the West Bank are further exacerbating an existing severe humanitarian crisis ; acute poverty and unemployment rates, border closures that jeopardize people’s access to humanitarian aid and health services, levels of violence targeting civilians particularly children and women are on the rise ; the number of civilian deaths and injuries is on the rise too.

We seize the opportunity to urge France to immediately intervene to bring about an immediate end to military operations and sweeping arrest by Israel, and to uphold Israel to its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention, under which it is responsible for the protection of the Palestinian population. We appeal to you to do all in your power to pressure Israel to instantly cease all of its unilateral arrangements of border demarcation conducted in flagrant infringement of peace negotiations, which should set the basis for resolving the conflict and reaching a just solution that can maintain Palestinian independence, territorial sovereignty and refugees’ rights.

With my best regards,

For D^r. Ismail Daiq, General Director

Ghada Zughayar,
Assistant to the General Director for External Relations
Tel. 00972 2 5833818,
Cell. (+972) (0) 52 2 327 644
Fax : 00972 2 5831 898
E-mail : ghada @pal-arc.org
Web : www.parc.ps