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Three Palestinian Demands-Wishes From The Syrian And Lebanese Authorities
Ibrahim Humeidi Al-Hayat 2003/08/19
Damascus
The head of Palestinian Salvation Front, Khaled Al Fahum told Al-Hayat that the Palestinian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nabil Shaath had presented to Syrian and Lebanese officials "three demands" that would improve relations between Damascus, Beirut and the Palestinian Authority.
Shaath met two days ago with his Syrian counterpart, Farouk Al Sharaa, to pave the way for the visit of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, planned for the first half of September. Al Fahum said the "Syrians agreed to the visit, and would notify the Palestinians about the date, which is expected before the meetings of the UN General Assembly." This is Mahmoud Abbas' first visit to Syria since he took power, and the second since 1983; he had visited Damascus in August 2001.
Al Fahum added that Shaath expressed the "wish to raise the level of Palestinian representation in Damascus to the level of embassy, as is the case in other countries." In this regard, Anwar Abdelhadi, the communications advisor of the head of the PLO's political section told Al-Hayat that "the Syrian government treats us as any other diplomats and offers all the facilities."
The second demand has to do with allowing holders of Palestinian passports to enter Syria. Al Fahum said that Syria had promised to consider this issue. It is worth noting that experts announced that around 600,000 Palestinians who had come from Gaza in the past few years never left the Syrian territories. A Palestinian official told Al-Hayat that Damascus "never stopped accepting exceptional demands presented by the holders of Palestinian passports."
As for the third issue, which was discussed by Shaath in Beirut, it has to do with improving the Palestinians' living conditions in Lebanon. Al Fahum said the Palestinian official asked the Lebanese authorities to allow the Palestinians to practice seven jobs, out of 72 lines of work banned to the Palestinians in Lebanon. Shaath is also seeking the approval of the Lebanese authorities to allow bringing in construction material for the reconstruction of some houses in the Palestinian camps, without this implying any political dimension related to the nationalization of Palestinians in Lebanon.