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Beit Hanoun, 19-01-06: The pressing issues of housing shortages and acute levels of unemployment were given top priority at an Independent Palestine rally in Beit Hanoun today, led by coalition head, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi.
The rally was part of a series of visits made by Dr. Barghouthi and fellow Independent Palestine candidates, Dr. Talal Sharif, Mr. Ziad Amr, Ms. Layla Wafi, Mr. Mohammad Dahman, and Mr. Kamal Zeid, to areas throughout the Gaza Strip, including Beit Lahiya, Jabalia Refugee Camp, Jabalia Town, and Gaza City.
Dr. Barghouthi vowed to translate his solidarity visit to Beit Hanoun, which has suffered repeated Israeli bombings and house demolitions throughout the six-year Intifada, into practice from within the Palestinian Legislative Council, by fighting for an end to the ongoing occupation of Gaza, and for greater spending on housing and economic investment.
He criticized the Palestinian Authority (PA) for its failure address the needs of those who have suffered most during the Intifada. He specifically cited PA budgetary imbalances, which saw a mere 2.7 percent allocated towards economic development in 2004, of which 0.7 percent went to housing, while a massive 27 percent was ploughed into ‘public order and security’.
He pledged to seek an overhaul of the budget in a way that pays attention to the real needs of the Palestinian people, by devoting more spending to areas such as housing, jobs, health, education, and social insurance.
Fellow candidate, Dr. Talal Sharif, focused on the issues of prisoners, stating that Independent Palestine would not be party to any negotiated settlement with Israel that did not allow for the immediate and unconditional release of all Palestinian prisoners being held in administrative detention in Israeli jails.
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