Ali Kazak, head of the Palestinian delegation to Australia, has condemned those responsible for the terror bombing of a Jerusalem market on July 30, which killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 100. He added, however, that the Israeli government bears equal responsibility for the outrage.
In a statement released on July 31, Kazak said, "This year, 19 Israelis have been killed, including the latest victims, and 19 Palestinians have also been killed by Israeli settlers and Israeli occupation troops. The Palestinian victims equally had names and loved ones.
"The PLO signed the Declaration of Principles with Israel in good faith, yet Israel has committed 34 gross breaches of the agreement which has plunged Palestinian confidence in the sincerity of Israel's commitment to the peace process. The Netanyahu government understands the peace process as continuing occupation and war by different means.
"The Israeli government cannot wash its hands of this bombing. It must understand that it cannot continue its occupation, its economic and military siege of Palestinian towns and villages, its confiscation of Palestinian lands, its destruction of Palestinian homes, its collective punishment, its building and expansion of Jewish colonies and its refusal to recognise the national rights of the Palestinian people, and expect to have peace at the same time."
Kazak said that because of the suffering and frustration experienced by the Palestinian people as result of Israel's oppressive policies, the Palestine National Authority cannot be expected to be able to control "the intense feelings of despair and hopelessness felt by the Palestinian people".
"Under this harsh and difficult situation the PNA is doing its utmost to bring law and order to the Palestinian territories under its administration but it is not responsible for security within Israeli-administered areas.
"If the Netanyahu government is sincere about making peace with the Palestinian people, then it should accelerate its withdrawal from the occupied territories, comply with the Declaration of Principles, recognise Palestinian national rights and not use this action by those against peace to achieve its own platform against the peace process.
"Furthermore, the Israeli government must also control its army and prevent them from shooting Palestinian civilians, stop arming settlers, and disarm the fanatic Jewish terrorists who threaten Palestinian security and are desecrating the religions of both Christianity and Islam."
Kazak on August 1 called on Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer to urge the Israeli government to cancel the "dangerous measures" adopted in the wake of the bombing.
These include: the suspension of negotiations and contact with the PNA; closure of international crossings between the Palestinian territories and Egypt and Jordan; closure of Palestinian cities and villages on the West Bank and their isolation from each other; the isolation of the West Bank and Gaza and the prohibition of any contact between the two areas; jamming of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation; the issuing of an arrest warrant for Palestinian police chief, General Ghazi al-Jabali; and the complete prohibition of the movement of workers and goods between the cities of the West Bank, Gaza and Israel.
"These measures are a declaration of war by Israel against the PNA, the Palestinian people and President Yasser Arafat", Kazak said.