On Wednesday morning in front of the assembled press, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi spoke and fielded questions concerning the recent electoral victory of Barack Obama and the status of Palestinian Unity efforts in Cairo in which he is playing a role.
He congratulated Barack Obama for his victory in the long and arduous campaign and wished him luck in the coming period. The Dr. also expressed hope that the President Elect will live up to the promises he made in his campaign: to change the way Washington works, and the way in which it interacts with the rest of the world.
"The election of Barack Obama reminds me of the American Civil Rights movements and the work of Martin Luther King Jr. It is upon this history and these principles that America became the great nation that it was; and it will be upon this example and history that America will restore its sense of legitimacy and purpose."
Dr. Barghouthi expressed hope that the new president would put an end to the policies of the past and end the bias to Israeli policies. Furthermore he asked that Obama live up to his promise of getting involved to establish a just peace and to neutralize the extreme pro-Israeli lobby, which has allied itself with the extreme right wing in Israel against the interest of the Palestinians and Israeli people.
He went on to discuss the prospects for national unity among Palestinians, but cautioned against the Israeli efforts to end these internal negotiations. Yesterday (Tuesday November 4th), the Israeli army invaded the Gaza Strip and murdered five Palestinians. The timing of such an invasion, amidst unity talks in Cairo, was "no accident", rather an instigation aimed at increasing the rift between Palestinians.
Speaking about the Cairo Summit, to which Mubadara has been invited, Dr. Barghouthi, reiterated his beliefs in the steps needed to reach unity at this critical time. He spoke of the need for an inclusive conference in which ALL Palestinian parties or factions are involved, regardless of their position within the PLO. He also reiterated his call for the release of all Palestinian prisoners and the end of politically motivated arrests within Palestine. He called for the People of Palestine to remain steadfast in this time of uncertainty and to move forward in the face of political infighting. The Dr. expressed hope that new elections within Palestine would be forthcoming and that ultimately, "it is for the people, not the parties, to decide the direction of the Palestinian Authority and the ’PLO’.
Speaking about his recent boat trip to Gaza aimed at breaking the siege and delivering vital supplies to Palestinian compatriots; Dr. Barghouthi assured the assembled "that this will not be the last attempt to break the siege" – referring to the planned voyage to break the siege again on November 7th, in which 14 British and European parliamentarians will participate.
He thanked the press for their coverage of the journey and warned them of the recent threats by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to put a halt to such adventures. Dr. Barghouthi urged the media to not allow this to happen by continuing to focus on the besieged Gaza Strip and the efforts to unify the Palestinian people.
According to the Dr. the boats to Gaza aim to achieve four goals:
1.By breaking the closure, even briefly and symbolically, shows that Palestinians and the Palestinian cause, supported by the power of nonviolence, can not be stopped or inhibited by any amount of force.
2.Beyond symbolism is the real support that these voyages provide to the people of Gaza whom have been robbed of every human right and necessity since the onset of the siege. Beyond supplies are the needs among the Gazans to know that they have not been forgotten by the world at large.
3.The boats aim at attract the attention of the world media to the situation in the Gaza Strip. Only through media support can these missions continue; and only through media support will we eventually bring pressure to bear upon the policies of Israel.
4.The final objective of the boat was to bring together the political factions within Palestine, with no exceptions or preconditions. This, according to the Dr., is the only choice and hope we have to move forward.