The 16th Congress of the PCP warmly and fraternally greets the Palestinian people and their prolonged and heroic national liberation struggle, against Israeli occupation and brutal aggression, for their right to a fatherland, to self-determination and to peace.

In this long path to freedom, there are countless victims, to whose memory we pay tribute.

Despite the agreements signed by the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government, despite successive Palestinian concessions, the end of last September brought Ariel Sharon's perfidious provocation which raised popular indignation and the uprising.

Once again, the Intifada - symbol of struggle and resistance for all struggling peoples - returned to the streets of the occupied territories.

Once again, the stones of revolt and indignation, but also of courage and conviction, were the cry of freedom that tried to face up to the arrogant Israeli military might. But on the opposite side of those stones are missiles, helicopters, machine-guns. On that side lies the horrible power of repressive force. The number of victims of this new Israeli aggression is about 3 hundred dead with over 10,000 wounded, among them an immensely sad majority of young people and children.

The 16th Congress of the PCP, meeting in Lisbon on December 8, 9 and 10:

Strongly condemns the policy of true terrorism and genocide of the Palestinian people, led by Israel against the Palestinian people. It also condemns the hypocrisy and complicity of the USA and other big powers with this policy; Demands the immediate end to Israeli violence and repression; the withdrawal of Israeli troops to, their positions prior to September 28th and their return to the negotiating table with the recognition of the Palestinian people's national rights; Declares its solidarity with the Palestinian people, with the PLO and all its components and with their struggle to liberate the occupied territories and to build the State of Palestine. Only through Israel's withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories, the creation of a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, the release of the political prisoners from Israeli jails and the return or due compensation for the Palestinian refugees, will the much-needed long, lasting and just peace in the Middle East be achieved.

Long live the Palestinian people's heroic struggle !
Long live the 16th Congress of the Portuguese Communist Party !