AMMAN, July 11, Reuter: Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi hailed the Palestinian revolt in the occupied West Bank and Gaza strip on Monday, saying Israel could not crush it by force.
“The struggle of the brave Palestinian people for their legitimate rights Hafni new and critical phase. Their accumulated anger can no longer be contained”, Gand: hi said at a state banquet in his honour hosted by Jordan’s King Hussein,
“Not all the brutality and violence unleashed by Israel can crush the Palestinian Intifada (uprising),” he declared according to a text of his speech released in advance.
At least 228 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and Gaza since the uprising erupted on December 9.
Gandhi, who arrived in Amman earlier on the first visit to Jordan by an Indian Prime Minister, said a just solution required an end to the occupation of Arab territories,
He said Palestinians had a right to self-determination and to their homeland, “These rights must be recognized”.
India saw a U.N. sponsored international conference attended by all parties including the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the best framework for a settlement, he added.
Gandhi reaffirmed India’s support for U.N. efforts to end the Iran Iraq war, which he said had taken a heavy toll on the two members of the nonaligned movement.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 15, 1988
