To our readers: This Bulletin is enlarged and delayed due to our wish to include the report of the PFLP Central Committee meeting in February. Then , as we were going to press, the Zionist occupation authorities dissolved the AI Bireh municipal council, and the uprising of our masses escalated greatly. These events are the lead article; the rest of the material in the Bulletin covers the time period prior to March 15th. Due to the expansion of this issue, you will not be receiving a Bulletin dated May. Bulletin No. 62 will be out in Table of Contents: 3 Events in the occupied territories 5 Editorial 6 Occupied homeland Day of the Land Conference in Acca 7 Current Zionist settlement policy 12 Bir Zeit University closed Palestinian prisoner released 13 Story of a Palestinian under occupation -interview with Salih Baransi 18 Golan Heights general strike 19 Zionist attack expected in Lebanon -:- interview with PFLP's military responsible Abu Ahmed Fuad 21 Martyrs Day 22 Mass rally in Sour 24 March in Allay commemorating Kamal Jumblatt 25 Poem to the Palestinian people I 28 Palestinian Communist Party 30 Mass work 31 International Womens Day Interview with Jihan Helou, General Union of Palestinian Women 34 Women speak 35 PFLP marks Womens Day - presentation by Comrade George Habash 37 Egypt- interview with Progressive Assembly Party 39 Subversion against Democratic Yemen 40 PFLP Central Committee Report 52 SW APO anniversary ~--;::::;::u::i:::h:;L~~;;-----------~ 1 ::;r:=~ ;·:::::::::::::::: : :: :: ::::::::: : ::: : :::::::::::::::::: : ::~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : ::::::::::: : ::::::::: : ::: : ::::::: :: :: : : : ::::: : : : : : :::: :: ::::~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : : : : 1 City: .............................................. ....... ............. .......... Country: ....................................... : .... .. ............... .................................................. 1 Enclosed is a cheque of$ ............................ .. ...... for ......... .. ................... No. of subscriptions I1 I 0 I/We want.. .... .. .. .. ... copies of the previous issue(s)No.(s) ......... .. .... .. .......... of the BULLETIN ·. .. 1 0 We want to exchange publications with you (for organizations) \il l________ Mail to PFLP International Relations Committee,..,._ ___________ P.O. Box 14/5024, Cornish AI Mazraah, Beirut, Lebanon. j ~ ZIONIST OFFENSIVE dissolution of the AI Bireh council. Begun GENERAL STRIKE on Friday, it has been supported by all municipalities, despite the violent repression being used by the military authorities. An CALLED important show of support came from out­ As we go to press, events are virtually Bireh (the 4th largest city in the West Bank) side, in Lebanon, where all Palestinian re­ exploding in the occupied territories. The and evicted the mayor, Ibrahim Tawil, and fugee camps went on strike in solidarity. Zionist authorities have unleashed a brutal the entire city council. The council was During a protest march in Beirut, PLO Exe­ offensive against our people, in a blatant dissolved and replaced with a 3-man military cutive Committee member Yasser Abed attempt to crush Palestinian national institu­ committee. The takeover was called for by Rabbo said: "The declaration of a general tions and terrorize the population. Faced Menahem Milson, whose direct superior is strike in Palestinian camps in Lebanon is a with our people's militant rejection of civil Ariel Sharon. confirmation of the unity of struggle and administration and the village leagues, the destiny, as well as an affirmation to our Zionists are moving to impose 'autonomy' Mass repression, mass resistance people inside Palestine that we shall hold and/or outright annexation by force. The Mass protest has been almost continuous firm to the gun and to the positions of the use of violence and arbitrary decrees from in the occupied territories since the imposi­ Palestinian Revolution in the South, to form the military has reached levels unprece­ tion of civil administration on December 1st a great support to them in confronting occu­ dented since 1967, culminating in the death and the closing of Bir Zeit University in pation, colonization and expansion." and wounding of numerous Palestinians. mid-February. These militant protests have Numerous clashes between Palestinians effectively closed the door on Zionist hopes and Israeli troops have taken place, with the NGCbanned for civil administration as a viable prelude to military attacking any public meetings. In On March 11th, Defense Minister Ariel 'autonomy'. The latest actions against AI Nablus, troops surrounded the municipality Sharon outlawed the National Guidance Bireh and the national institutions have spar­ to ban a scheduled meeting. Mayor Bassam Committee (NGC) on the grounds that it is ked an unprecedented wave of militant de­ Shakaa, who lost both his legs when Zionist an arm of the PLO. The other ostensible monstrations and protests. Groups of unar­ terrorists blew up his car in 1980, was reason given w~s retaliation for a statement med Palestinians are attacking Israeli mili­ dragged from his office and thrown on the from King Hussein of Jordan, threatening tary patrols; women have taken over Zionist ground by Israeli soldiers, who then shot any Palestinian who joined the village lea­ offices; students - young boys and girls - around him. Eyewitnesses report that he gues with execution under Jordanian law. are laying down their lives. Hundreds of managed to stand up, bare his chest and However, patriotic Palestinians in the occu­ arrests have been made, and scores of Palesti­ shout: "Hit, you fascists, hit, as the only pied land saw the ban in another light. They nians injured by Israeli bullets. strength you have is the strength of guns." noted that the NGC has been virtually non­ On March 20th, Israeli troops opened fire All signs point to an intensification of functional for a year now, due to the syste­ on a demonstration in the Ramallah/ Al Zionist aggression. A military decree has matic deportation and house arrest of its Bireh area. A 17 year old Palestinian stu­ been issued banning the distribution of any leaders. Mayor Bassam Shakaa of Nablus dent, Ibrahim Ali Darwish Badran, was shot of Jerusalem's Arabic newspapers in the considered this move "a precedent for fur­ in the chest and died immediately. Two West Bank. Anabta mayor Wahid al Ham­ ther and worse measures against the Palesti­ young girls were critically wounded; uncon­ dallah has been arrested; Ramallah mayor nian inhabitants ... " firmed reports state that they and another Karim Khalaf was arrested and released. All student have now died. The family of the West Bank municipal councils are expecting AI Bireh council dissolved young martyr Ibrahim held the funeral to be dissolved. The Palestinian people re­ BJSSaJll Shakaa's prediction was quickly immediately; BBC correspondents witnessed cognize this as a decisive enemy offensive, proven correct. On March 15th, in the midst Israeli troops using tear gas to disperse the aimed at crushing all opposition, imposing of ongoing mass demonstrations against civil funeral procession. On the next day, Sun­ civil administration by force, and then the administration and the 'autonomy' scheme, day, another 5 Palestinians were critically last step - annexation. The magnificent the Al Bireh municipal council was sum­ wounded by Israeli fire. mass resistance now taking place is our ma ed to a meeting with the head of the A general strike has been declared heroic people's answer to the Zionist threat. civil dministration, Menahem Milson, at the throughout the West Bank to protest the military headquarters. The council members all refused to attend, stating that they were PLO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE COMMUNIQUE elec e in 1976 to represent the Palestinian peo e in their municipalities. "We were not The Zionist occupation authorities took a by our people, who have unanimously decla­ elec · as a bridge over which will pass dangerous action by dissolving the Bireh red their opposition to the occupation and enemy plans and solutions already rejected Municipal Council and appointing a military to its tools and symbols, headed by the civil by o people such as the civil administra­ governor to administer the municipality's administration project and all other formu­ tion an the autonomy scheme." affairs. This step follows a series of measures lae which aim to give the occupation a more The Zionist reaction was swift and brutal. undertaken by the occupation to liquidate palatable image. On Thursday, March 18th, about 100 Israeli national organizations in the occupied The dissolution of the Bireh Municipal troops stormed the municipal offices of A1 regions, particularly those directly elected Council is part of a larger plot to end the .... 3 role of all West Bank and 9aza Strip munici­ homeland, Zionist expansionism and conti­ institutions in the occupied territories, and palities and to replace them with direct nued settlement plans. from the Palestinian people inside and out­ military rule. The enemy authorities last Under the cover of the so-called civil side these territories. week formed a military committee to over­ administration, assaults were made on educa­ The PLO Executive Committee is confi­ see the finances of the Nablus Municipality, tional institutions, Bir Zeit University was dent that these confrontations with the as a preliminary to other measures that closed, there were attacks on syndical and enemy will increase our people's determi­ would