Hundreds of leading Palestinians urge end to violence
By Haaretz Staff
Decenber 27, 2004
Prominent Palestinian figures yesterday appealed for an end to violence, adding weight to Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' bid to succeed Yasser Arafat and launch peace talks with Israel.
Some 560 prominent Palestinians, including senior PLO officials, cabinet ministers, lawmakers, intellectuals and poets, urged an end to armed attacks and a push for democratic reform to advance the quest for a state.
"We reaffirm our legitimate right to confront occupation, but call for restoring the popular character of our intifada and ceasing actions that reduce the range of [international] support for our cause and harm the credibility of our struggle," they said in a front-page advertisement in Palestinian newspapers.
They also pressed Arafat's successor not to compromise on long-held Palestinian demands for a state in all of the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and a "fair solution" for Palestinian refugees.
In kicking off his campaign Saturday for chairmanship of the Palestinian Authority, Abbas called on Israel to withdraw from East Jerusalem and all parts of the West Bank.
Palestinian militants have rebuffed Abbas' suggestions of a truce with Israel since Arafat died in November. But poll ratings for Abbas have surged along with sentiment for a return to calm to enable negotiations for statehood.
