Palestinians in Europe: Yes to Boycott, No to Normalization

Dr. Fawzi Ismail, president of the Union of Palestinian Communities and Institutions – Europe, issued a stinging critique of the Palestinian Authority and what he referred to as “shops and farms of normalization with the occupation inside occupied Palestine,” in response to the “Women Wage Peace” march supported by the so-called “Committee for Communication with Israeli Society” of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

“What is happening today in occupied Palestine, with normalization projects endorsed on behalf of the PLO, presents a new and catastrophic danger of liquidation of the PLO and the Palestinian cause at the same time,” said Ismail, warning against attempts to reproduce Oslo and the “self-rule government” under new names and new mechanisms and under the guise of reconciliation and change.

He urged Palestinians in Europe to unite to confront the Zionist movement and the approach of the Palestinian Authority, noting that the Palestinian people inside occupied Palestine and in exile and diaspora must keep their eyes fixed on the occupier and those who seek to undermine the Palestinian cause and rights from within.

He noted that the results and reality emerging from 25 years of negotiations have been nothing short of disastrous, as even those who participated in and led that process themselves have recognized, and have reached a dead end, represented by the so-called “peace” march with no demands on the occupier, in which the PLO officially participated through this committee.

Ismail noted that the role of the Palestinian communities in exile around the world in the international boycott, divestment and sanctions movement is growing. “However, at the same time, we see official Palestinian Authority polices that act to impede the growth of this movement and its activities, providing a lifeline for supporters of Zionism,” he said.

“The Palestinian Authority’s positions do not represent the will of the Palestinian people,” he said. “We reject the existence of this committee for communication with Israeli society, especially as the PLO lacks any committee or institution to communicate with the Palestinian people.”