Palestinian Leadership declares State of Emergency

PNA Statement
"Palestinian Leadership declares a "State of Emergency""
issued on December 2, 2001

The Palestinian Leadership, headed by President Yasser Arafat, held an urgent meeting around noon yesterday to consider and study the serious and dangerous situation following the operations and the bombings in Israel which targeted the Israeli civilians in public places and coaches and which targeted the international, US, European, Russian, Arab and UN efforts towards implementing the agreements and towards the establishment of the independent Palestinian state with al-Quds al-Shareef as its capital; these operations which also attempt to strike the Arab national position. Thus, the Palestinian Leadership decided to declare a state of emergency in all Palestinian territories and to commission the general security services to implement emergency laws and procedures as of the date of issuing this statement.

The Leadership decided to consider any movement, organization, or group that does not respond to the decisions of the Leadership, especially those whose actions serve the goals of the extremist forces in Israel, as outlaws and especially those who claim responsibility for those operations and bombings against civilians in Israel. The Leadership also decided to commission the security services to track down the perpetrators planners of those operations and bombings and bring them to justice.

The Leadership which expresses concern for the higher national interests of the Palestinian people calls on our masses to respond fully with these decisions to prevent the government of Sharon from executing its bloody scheme against our people and from crushing our national goals and in order to protect our Christian and Islamic holy sites.

The Leadership calls on the international community to take an urgent decision towards protecting the peace process and for sending international observers immediately to the Palestinian lands.

Published at Al Quds Newspaper on December 3, 2001.

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