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Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. (Alex Levac)
Last update - 20:30 13/05/2008
Fayyad: Israel shouldn't celebrate independence until peace deal signed
By The Associated Press
Tags: Gaza, Israel, Palestinians 

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad reprimanded Israel on Tuesday for triumphantly celebrating its 60th birthday before having reached a peace deal with the Palestinians.

"Such festivities are out of place as long as Israel rules over the Palestinians," the usually mild-mannered Fayyad said in a speech marking the nakba ("the Catastrophe"), as the Palestinians refer to the events surrounding Israel's independence in 1948.

"I direct my speech... to the people of Israel, to say 'how can you?'" Fayyad said in marking the anniversary. "How can you celebrate and the Palestinian people are suffering from your settlements and the crimes of your settlers and the siege of your state and the conduct of your occupying army?"
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"There is no meaning to celebration if we don't celebrate together, with a fair peace," he added.

Israel celebrated the 60th anniversary of its May 14, 1948 independence declaration with great fanfare last week, following the Hebrew calendar. Israel is hosting another round of festivities this week and will be joined by foreign leaders, including U.S. President George W. Bush.

Palestinians will hold events marking the nakba on Thursday.

Plans include flying thousands of black balloons in a show of mourning, rallies in the West Bank and Gaza and the screening of films about Palestinian history.

In Gaza, the ruling Islamic militant Hamas wants supporters to march toward a main passenger crossing with Israel. Gaza has been virtually sealed since the violent Hamas takeover a year ago.

Arab students at Israeli universities in Haifa and Jerusalem plan nakba marches. In Jerusalem, artists plan to exhibit 3,000 figurines, meant to represent Palestinian refugees.

During the 1948 Mideast War, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were uprooted and scattered across the region. Along with their descendants, they now make up about 4.5 million, according to United Nations figures.

Commemorations are meant to direct attention to the unresolved plight of Palestinian refugees, and to encourage young Palestinians to learn their history, activists said. The fate of refugees is a key issue in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks which resumed earlier this year, but have yielded little progress.

"Palestinians have been dispossessed long enough, and how many years do they have to wait before they come home?" said Huwaida Arraf, a 31-year-old Palestinian activist in Ramallah.



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      1.   They celebrated Arafat`s death.. duh... 19:44  |  ScotGuy 13/05/08
      2.   Holding Back for Fayyad 19:46  |  Alan Steiner 13/05/08
      3.   There is no meaning? 19:47  |  Fish 13/05/08
      4.   Zero-sum "game." Waiting until peace deal is mistaken approach... 19:49  |  bat yam 13/05/08
      5.   They made the wrong decision in `48 19:54  |  Mike 13/05/08
      6.   "SETTLERS"?? 20:03  |  Raphie 13/05/08
      7.   Akiva Eldar is his speech writer and Leftie Esther from TA prepar 20:04  |  Absolute Sweden 13/05/08
      8.   The "Tragedy" Was Palestinian Arabs Chose War to Partition! 20:14  |  Me 13/05/08
      9.   Israel shouldn`t celebrate until it commits to its own destructio 20:27  |  Pilly 13/05/08
      10.   Nice attempt at a guilt trip... 20:38  |  Aphemia 13/05/08
      11.   Yet, another idirect reflection of the refusal of the Palestinian 20:42  |  Amihai 13/05/08
      12.   how is fayyad still the PM ?? 20:44  |  vik 13/05/08
      13.   This highlights Palestinian errors 20:58  |  Awake 13/05/08
      14.   The Jordanians and Egyptians enslaved you the IDF liberated you.. 21:01  |  r 13/05/08
      15.   Just because Arabs REFUSED creation of Another Pal state.. 21:02  |  David 13/05/08
      16.   He must be joking! (end) 21:09  |  ChanahS 13/05/08
      17.   Right on, Amihai, right on! 21:12  |  Hedva 13/05/08
      18.   To Fayyad 21:14  |  ChanahS 13/05/08
      19.   He Is Heavy, He Ain`t My Brother! 21:15  |  Cool B 13/05/08
      20.   If we waited for a peace deal then we`d never celebrate! 21:17  |  redmike 13/05/08
      21.   HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISRAEL ! 21:25  |  Rachel 13/05/08
      22.   Give Israelis indication you will sign deal.They are skeptical. 21:39  |  Sam 13/05/08
      23.   This man FAYYAD has Impudence! 21:43  |  Dagma 13/05/08
      24.   If you Guys Can do the following: the word will learn from you 21:44  |  Simon Mohammed 13/05/08
      25.   I am celebrating the Palestinians refusal to Partition 21:44  |  Ari 13/05/08
      26.   Fayyad 21:48  |  siegfried buchwalte 13/05/08
      27.   Fayad, Either Do Your State-Creating Business In Peace Or Get ... 21:57  |  Lavi 13/05/08
      28.   Fayyad 22:00  |  siegfried buchwalte 13/05/08
      29.   Fayyad: Israel shouldn`t celebrate independence 22:01  |  Ezer 13/05/08
      30.   To Amihai # 11 - Hear Hear! 22:04  |  Dolly 13/05/08
      31.   Fayyad is correct-Israel should celebrate only after it eliminate 22:06  |  Sal 13/05/08
      32.   Fayyad 22:08  |  siegfried buchwalte 13/05/08
      33.   I don`t believe it 22:12  |  MR 13/05/08
      34.   as the PALS sow nothing, They reap nothing... 22:16  |  dav zee 13/05/08
      35.   Imagine 22:17  |  Gee 13/05/08
      36.   palestinians celebrate only death 22:22  |  real vision 13/05/08
      37.   Dont lecture us 22:23  |  Susan 13/05/08
      38.   They`ll show Pal films! What a blast! 22:28  |  Richard S 13/05/08
      39.   PAL hypocrites 22:35  |  ross 13/05/08
      40.   # 24 Simon Mohammed.....hopefully soon the Pals 22:43  |  Lynn 13/05/08
      41.   I think Fayad should have expressed his outraged 22:48  |  Joe 13/05/08
      42.   Mr. Fayyad. In case you excuse your comrades for a "longago" sin 22:50  |  common sense 13/05/08
      43.   Israeli Independence 23:00  |  Sam C 13/05/08
      44.   "Palestinian" is defined only in opposition 23:11  |  Realist 13/05/08
      45.   Question for Fayyad 23:12  |  Boris 13/05/08
      46.   Fayyad you are quite right. 23:17  |  Stephen. 13/05/08
      47.   no one waits for failed leaders failed state or thieving leaders 23:27  |  ralph 13/05/08
      48.   Bat Yam #4 23:28  |  Richard Kaplan 13/05/08
      49.   WELL TWO CAN PLAY THE SAME GAME ...BUT WE ARE BETTER 23:44  |  SAM EL GIANNITO 13/05/08
      50.   Fayyad 23:49  |  siegfried buchwalte 13/05/08
      51.   Fayyad go find you a real job. Israel wants only land grab! 23:52  |  Shosho 13/05/08
      52.   PALS STOP TERRORISM THEN WE CAN TALK 23:56  |  dale 13/05/08
      53.   UN Resolution 194??? 00:03  |  CEZ 14/05/08
      54.   READ BEFORE YOU WRITE!! 00:14  |  d. Turjman 14/05/08
      55.   Nakba from Spain and Portugal 00:16  |  Ricardo Levy 14/05/08
      56.   missed communication 00:26  |  yonah 14/05/08
      57.   Can You imagine the 70 Years celebration? 00:43  |  Ali Babba 14/05/08
      58.   Independence means not having to care what Fayyad thinks 00:49  |  Realist 14/05/08
      59.   NOTHING HAS BEEN GAINED FROM THE NON-RECOGNITION OF HAMAS 00:59  |  Mohamed MALLECK 14/05/08
      60.   Shosho #50 01:04  |  Gee 14/05/08
      61.   because you failed we should not celebrate? get a life better 01:35  |  ralph 14/05/08
      62.   because you failed we should not celebrate? get a life better 01:35  |  ralph 14/05/08
      63.   48 Richard - I "sit" corrected. Thanx. However... 01:41  |  bat yam 14/05/08
      64.   NO peace with Fayyad and his Jihadists 01:42  |  Brod 14/05/08
      65.   FAYYAD`S FALLACY 01:49  |  Brant 14/05/08
      66.   Yeah sure!!! 02:18  |  Joelle 14/05/08
      67.   Fayad , if not for Israel 02:21  |  TOMY 14/05/08
      68.   Israel`s wonderful 60th 02:23  |  Moshe 14/05/08
      69.   No, but you should hand out candies after terror attacks 03:02  |  McQueen 14/05/08
      70.   No peace with Fayyad and Jihadists 2 03:04  |  Brod 14/05/08
      71.