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