Following is the statement issued by the National and Islamic Forces on February 10, 2001; signatories are: Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fateh); Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas); Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP); Palestinian People’s Party (PPP); Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA); Palestinian Popular Struggle Front; Palestinian Liberation Front; Islamic Jihad Movement; Arab Liberation Front; Palestinian Arab Front; Popular Front—General Command; Islamic National Salvation Party; and Popular Liberation War Pioneers (Sa’iqa):

Our great Palestinian masses
Our Arab and Islamic Masses
Our Intifada heroes

The Palestinian popular steadfastness, expressed in the Intifada of the Aqsa, Jerusalem, Independence and Return, caused the downfall of the terrorist criminal Ehud Barak who dared and escalated his aggressive war against our people, using all kinds of weapons, siege and Judaization. Now, the terrorist criminal Areel Sharon assumes power in Israel as the new PM; he is the fifth in the series of PMs of Israel who ruled over the past five years. Sharon will fall like the past four PMs because of the Palestinian popular steadfastness which will continue until the achievement of goals of our people in defeating occupation, freedom and right of return and self determination and the building of the Palestinian independent state with full sovereignty and blessed al-Quds as its capital.

The arrival of the terrorist Sharon to power in Israel as he raises the slogan of "security first" imposes a new phase of confrontation that requires from all Palestinian, Arab and international forces to work and isolate this raging bull with all means. The national and Islamic forces reject and condemn the attempts of the new US administration to support Sharon's policies through calling for giving him some time while he is making statements that deny the Palestinian national rights. Any Palestinian or Arab attempt to market Sharon spoiled goods will be a fall into the trap which Sharon seeks to use as a means to destroy the Palestinian national unity and eliminate the Intifada and paralyze the Palestinian National Authority.

The National and Islamic Forces stress on tightening the isolation against Sharon from all angles and not give him a chance to impose any stability. This requires the escalation of the Intifada and resistance and make his aggressive policy a burden on the Israeli society which will see the need to get rid of him as a PM in Israel and get rid of his dark past and even darker future; we are confident that our people are capable of achieving this.

The National and Islamic Forces affirm their firm adherence and the need to reinforce national unity under the Intifada; the forces condemn any attempts or statements that try to distort the positions of the National and Islamic Forces or the statements that try to cause a split. The national unity program constitutes the common grounds for these forces to escalate their contributing role in the Intifada.

The National and Islamic Forces are looking forward to see the reinforcement of the roles of all forces in the Palestinian people in comprehensive confrontation; the forces call on the popular institutions and organizations to activate the activities of the committees of right of return and boycotting Israeli products and against normalization. The forces stress on the need to organize popular conferences in which the national and Islamic forces will join the civil society institutions in activating their role in the Intifada. Coordination of these activities between these forces and the PNA institutions reflects the integration and interaction of the struggle climate that reinforces the escalation, development and sustainability of the blessed Intifada.

The National and Islamic Forces extend a greeting to the leadership, cadres and strugglers in the Palestinian People's Party on the 19th anniversary of the Party, wishing the party progress on the path of victory.

The National and Islamic Forces call upon the masses to participate in the following activities:

1- Tuesday, February 13, a day of rage and challenge to confront the aggressive project of racist Sharon through marches and demonstrations against settlements and activate popular activities against settlements and settlers in the Palestinian rural areas.
2- Friday, February 16, a day of total confrontation to the policies of Sharon and call for isolating him on Arab and international levels and organize marches in the Arab and Islamic countries to support the Intifada and reinforce total confrontation against occupation and settlements.
The upcoming months require more alertness and attention regarding the stupidities that the terrorist Sharon, who is known for his black criminal record, might commit. The comprehensiveness of the confrontation requires contacts with all national and Islamic popular forces in the Arab and Islamic world to stand in one line against the policy of racist Sharon. This unity can break the thundering and aggressiveness of Sharon.
 

Long live the blessed Intifada
Glory and eternity for our martyrs
Fast recovery to the injured and freedom for our heroic prisoners
It is an Intifada until victory

The National and Islamic Forces