BEN ALI STATEMENT ON SOLIDARITY WITH THE

UNCLAS TUNIS 002823 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG - HARRIS AND NEA/IPA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KPAL TS SUBJECT: BEN ALI STATEMENT ON SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINIANS ¶1. (SBU) On November 28, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali issued a statement calling on the international community to protect the Palestinian people. On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (November 29),Ben Ali reinforced Tunisia's traditional support for the rights of the Palestinian people and the need for a just peace. Given Tunisia's historical relationship with the Palestinian cause and community, it was no surprise that Ben Ali chose to issue a public statement on this occasion. ¶2. (U) STATEMENT TEXT (OFFICIAL TUNIS NEWS AGENCY TRANSLATION): Begin Text: On the celebration tomorrow of world day of solidarity with the Palestinian people, president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali addressed to the international community a message reiterating Tunisia's call to ensure as quickly as possible an international protection to the Palestinian people. The head of state reaffirmed Tunisia's constant support and total solidarity with the Palestinian people in their heroic fight to recover their legitimate rights and build-up their independent state. In view of the deterioration of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories after the repeated Israeli attacks that resulted in several victims and caused a lot of destructions, the head of state expressed in this message Tunisia's deep concern and urged the influential international parties, foremost among which the Quartet, the security council and the international public opinion to assume their responsibilities and incite Israel to show support to the peace process on the basis of relevant international resolutions and the multiple Arab initiatives, so as to enable the Palestinian people to fulfill their legitimate aspirations. Tunisia urged as well the UNO (sic) and more particularly the committee entrusted with the protection of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to carry on and increase efforts to reinforce and materialize these rights, in accordance with UN resolutions, so that the Palestinian people might live in freedom and dignity and in order to reinforce the foundations of peace and stability in the region and in the world. End Text. GODEC