Shaath: Disengagement plan aims to destroy Gaza

peaking at the opening ceremony of the Arab-International Forum on Rehabilitation and Development in the Occupied Palestinian Territories at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Center, Shaath was commenting on recent remarks by a top Israeli official last week that the main objective behind Israel's unilateral pullout was to hinder the creation of a Palestinian state.

The conference kicked off in Beirut Wednesday in the presence of over 500 attendees from across the Arab world, including five Palestinian ministers.

"Many reporters ... asked how it was possible that while Gaza is being destroyed we were holding a conference on development," Shaath said. "I answered: they destroy and we build and they destroy and we build and they destroy and we build until finally we liberate our Occupied Territories."

Shaath, who said it took him over nine hours to get out of Gaza because of the Israeli blockade, added, "Jabaliya and Rafah are being destroyed - and despite all that not one white flag was raised in Gaza" - a reference to the Israeli Days of Penitence onslaught on Jabaliya which started 13 days ago.

"Each Palestinian village is isolated from its neighboring villages and each city is isolated from its neighbors as if by international borders," he said.

But despite the grim picture, Shaath told his audience that in the decade that preceded the rekindling of the current intifada, after the establishment of the PA, many exploits were made.

"From 1994 to 2000, with the help of $500 million yearly ... we were gradually able to rebuild and rehabilitate the infrastructure," he said, adding that, even now - and despite the regular onslaught on the Palestinian territories - bank deposits have not decreased.

"This portrays the determination and hope of Palestinians. We don't want you to shed tears for us, but we do need your vision to build and rehabilitate," the Palestinian territories.

Mervat Tallawy, the executive secretary of the United Nations Economic and Western Commission for Western Asia (Escwa) - the organizers of the forum - Said Kamal, the representative of Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, and a number of local politicians also spoke at the opening ceremony.

The conference, which will go on for three days, will also feature a number of prominent experts and politicians from throughout the Arab world.

Among them are Ghassan Khatib, the Palestinian Authority labor minister; Azzam Ahmed, the PA's communications and technology minister; and Zahira Kamel, the PA's minister for women's affairs.

A number of exhibits and cultural events will also be held in parallel with discussions on the rehabilitation and development of Palestinian territories.

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