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European Conference of Local Authorities for Peace in the Middle East

European Conference of Local Authorities for Peace in the Middle East
Sep. 25-27th 2008
Venice , Italy
“Let‘s Make Peace in the
Middle East, Let‘s Rebuild Hope”

Speech of the Association of
Palestinian Local Authorities/APLA

 

Mr. Khaled Osaily/Mayor of Hebron
III European Conference of Local Authorities for Peace in the Middle East
Sep. 25-27th 2008-09-23 Venice, Italy
“Let‘s Make Peace in the Middle East, Let‘s Rebuild Hope”
Speech of the Association of Palestinian Local
Authorities/ APLA
Mr. Khaled Osaily/Mayor of Hebron
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Dear colleague Mayors from Europe, Israel and
Palestine,
Dear Friends,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Evening,

Please allow me to express to you on behalf of all Palestinian Mayors, our great honor to be here in this beautiful warm historic Italian city, the city of peace and justice, on this occasion of organizing the III
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European Conference of Local Authorities for Peace in the Middle East. Moreover, please allow me to express my appreciation for HE the Mayor of Venice and his staff, to the Italian Coordination of Local Authorities for Peace and Human Rights as well as all the organizers of this conference and their continued belief in peace and justice.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Established in Jerusalem in 1997, the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA) is a non-profit membership based national local authority organization that represents the collective interests of its members at the local, national and international level and provides them with relevant and meaningful services, and arrange for support, solidarity and projects to the members.

On this occasion of the third European Conference for Peace in the Middle East, and as we discuss the role of local authorities in conflict prevention, peace-building and reconciliation, and improve living conditions for the citizens of our cities, towns and villages in Palestine, we are faced with facts on the grounds that makes our hopes and enthusiasm for a better future seem to be an illusion. The current situation and conditions on the ground in Palestine, makes it difficult for APLA to carry out its‘ activities. Moreover, it makes service provision of local authorities to their citizens and developing
infrastructure and development plan very difficult and continuously interrupted due to the more than 600 checkpoints scattered all over the west bank and continued military incursions of cities and towns.

The Israeli military occupation of Palestine continues and must end; Israeli policies of injustice, collective punishment, discrimination, settlements activities and land confiscation, erection of the wall, siege, closure and checkpoints continue to suffocate Palestinians and directly affecting their living conditions. These measures limit democratic life and shatters the hopes and plans for social, economic, health, and educational developments in Palestine, creating obstacles for staff development and project execution due to the severe moving restrictions of people, goods and material, as well as arresting local officials including mayors and municipal staff in Israeli prisons on administrative detentions.

policy of collective punishment and suffocating of people has resulted in an unprecedented human catastrophes and severe economic conditions with high unemployment rate and poverty. The financial municipal situation is very alarming and critical where many municipalities are unable to provide staff salaries for a few months, and were forced to limit service
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provision to the basic minimum, due to the unprecedented deep economic crises and high alarming unemployment figures. The financial situation of APLA, ‘the representative, body of all Palestinian local authorities ,we need your support to enable the continued activities of local and APLA.

Dear Colleagues, Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Despite all these severe measures and actions of nation punishment, the Palestinian people continue to strive for peace that is based on and talks, peace that is long lasting and guarantees respect of human rights, freedom and prosperity. Peace cannot be achieved as long as the occupation continues together with settlement building and wall erection, and other aggression and attacks, and without establishing the Palestinian Independent state living in peace, prosperity, freedom and good neighborly relations.

In this situation the Palestinian Municipalities are in despair to receive help in order to be able to provide basic services to their citizens which by now are in desperate conditions. All this, is leading to a dangerous

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degradation of life in the Palestinians The Palestinian Municipalities, therefore appeal strongly to the international community and in particular to European Local Authorities, and to all national and regional associations of Local Authorities and all peace lovers from all over the world, to strengthen their solidarity and commitment to Palestinian local authorities and to APLA, to support them and to get engaged with them in cooperation programs, and to help ending the occupation and its‘ accompanied aggression, thus allowing for establishing the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its‘ capital next to the state of Israel living in peace, prosperity and stability according to the international legitimacy.

We strongly believe in the role of local authorities for peace building since it‘s the level closer to citizens, therefore should empower and strengthen the local to local relations and dialogue. Here we would like to suggest establishing more cooperation agreements and twinning between European and Palestinian local in projects that can empower local authorities and improve citizens living in urgent life threatening services aim to ease the suffering of the people and heal their wounds. Programs that aim to develop different marginalized sectors like children, women disadvantaged people,

and elderly can develop the society and provide hope to people. Develop water, wastewater and electricity sectors, health clinics and public and children parks and youth clubs are examples of support, since youth represent 58% of the population and should be engaged in activities that help acquainting them to peace culture and acceptance of the other thus preventing radicalism and help building peace with a growing belief from the youth as they grow up. Cooperation can also include developing programs of support in technical matters and capacity building programs for the municipal staff implemented through APLA. The example of Euro-Gaza municipal cooperation is an effective mechanism that has proved its‘ success; we should follow this example that has proven success to establish such relations like Euro-¬Nablus, Euro-Bethlehem, Euro-Hebron, Euro-Ramallah and so on since many of Palestinian cities enjoy relations with a number of European cities that need to be organized and coordinated in an effective manner. Euro-APLA municipal association cooperation should also be established.

Europe can do much for peace in the Middle East and can be affected directly, positively if peace is reached and otherwise if situation continues. We ask Europe, the united Europe, governments, parliaments and
institutions to take its‘I responsibility and pressure on the politicians from Israel and Palestine to end the occupation and reach peace. We ask the European people to continue working for peace and support peace and support their governments and local authorities in their efforts for peace building. We ask the European local authorities to step up their pressure on European institutions and national governments to support their activities and their role in peace in the Middle East weather political, moral or financial support. We ask European National local authority associations to support APLA in delivering programs and ideas to support Palestinian local authorities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We kindly appeal to you to contribute making the Middle East a peaceful, stable, and a better place to live in, by helping ending the occupation and conflict and replacing war, fighting, hatred, injustice and occupation by peace, stability, caring and loving, justice, freedom and independence. Believe me everybody can play a role and every step no matter how it is can help, and as representatives of local authorities can play an important role by taking local actions and engaging your local authorities in cooperation programs with Palestinian and Israeli cities.

I thank you very much for your kind attention and once again thank the hosts and the organizers , and I
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congratulate you for the great success of this conference. Let‘s Make Peace in the Middle East; Let‘s Rebuild Hope. Thank you very much and Peace for all.

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