May 28, 1964
Adopted on May 28, 1964 by the first Congress of the PLO
Original source in English
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INTRODUCTION
We, the Palestinian Arab people, who fought fierce and continuous battles to safeguard their homeland, defend their dignity and honor, and who offered over the years continuous caravans of immortal martyrs, and who wrote the noblest pages of sacrifice, dedication and generosity.
We, the Palestinian Arab people, who confronted the forces of evil, injustice and aggression, against whom the forces of international Zionism and colonialism conspired and worked to displace them, to dispossess them of their homeland and their property, desecrated the sacred in it and who, despite all this, refused to weaken or submit.
We, the Palestinian Arab people, who believe in their Arabity and in their right to regain their homeland, to realize their freedom and dignity, and who have decided to gather their forces and mobilize their efforts and capacities to continue their struggle and advance on the path of holy war (al-jihad) until complete and final victory is achieved.
We, the Palestinian Arab people, basing ourselves on our right to self-defence and the full restoration of our lost homeland – a right recognized by international covenants and common practices, including the Charter of the United Nations – and on the implementation of the principles of human rights, and understanding international political relations with their various ramifications and dimensions, and considering past experience in all that concerns the causes of the catastrophe and the means of dealing with it,
And starting from the Palestinian Arab reality, and for the honor of the Palestinian individual and his right to a free and dignified life,
And understanding the grave national responsibility that weighs on our shoulders, for all this,
We, the Palestinian Arab people, dictate and declare this Palestinian National Charter and swear to realize it.
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Article 1:
Palestine is an Arab homeland united by strong Arab national ties with the rest of the Arab countries, which together form the great Arab homeland.
Article 2:
Palestine, with its borders at the time of the British Mandate, is an indivisible territorial unit.
Article 3:
The Palestinian Arab people have a legitimate right to their homeland and are an inseparable part of the Arab nation. It shares the sufferings and aspirations of the Arab nation and its struggle for freedom, sovereignty, progress and unity.
Article 4:
The people of Palestine determine their destiny when they complete the liberation of their homeland according to their own wishes and free will.
Article 5:
The Palestinian personality is a permanent and genuine characteristic that does not disappear. It is passed down through families.
Article 6:
Palestinians are those Arab citizens who normally lived in Palestine until 1947, whether they remained or were expelled. Every child born to a Palestinian Arab parent after that date, whether in Palestine or outside Palestine, is Palestinian.
Article 7:
Jews of Palestinian origin are considered Palestinians if they are willing to live in peace and loyalty in Palestine.
Article 8:
Educating Palestinian youth in an Arab and nationalistic spirit is a fundamental national duty. Every means of guidance, education and enlightenment must be used to link youth to their homeland in a deep and spiritual way that unites them constantly and firmly.
Article 9:
Ideological doctrines, whether political, social or economic, should not distract the people of Palestine from their primary duty to liberate their homeland. All Palestinians constitute a united national front and work with all their feelings and material potentialities to liberate their homeland.
Article 10:
Palestinians have three slogans: National Unity, National Mobilization and Liberation. Once liberation is complete, the people of Palestine will choose for their public life the political, economic or social system they wish.
Article 11:
The Palestinian people firmly believe in Arab unity, and in order to play its part in the realization of this goal, it must, at this stage of its struggle, preserve its Palestinian personality and all its components. He must strengthen his awareness of his existence and position, and oppose any attempt or plan that may weaken or disintegrate his personality.
Article 12:
Arab unity and the liberation of Palestine are two complementary objectives; each prepares the achievement of the other. Arab unity leads to the liberation of Palestine, and the liberation of Palestine leads to Arab unity. Working for both must go hand in hand.
Article 13:
The fate of the Arab nation and even the essence of Arab existence are firmly bound up with the fate of the Palestinian question. From this solid bond arises the effort and struggle of the Arab Nation to liberate Palestine. The people of Palestine assume a leading role in the realization of this sacred national goal.
Article 14:
The liberation of Palestine, from an Arab point of view, is a national duty. Its responsibilities fall on the entire Arab nation, governments and peoples, with the Palestinians being in the front line. To this end, the Arab nation must mobilize its military, spiritual and material potential; Specifically, it must provide the Palestinian Arab people with all possible support and make available to them all opportunities and means to enable them to play their part in the liberation of their homeland.
Article 15:
The liberation of Palestine, from a spiritual point of view, prepares for the Holy Land an atmosphere of tranquillity and peace, in which all the holy places will be safeguarded and freedom of worship and visit will be guaranteed to all, without discrimination of race, colour, language or religion. For all this, the Palestinian people expect the support of all the spiritual forces of the world.
Article 16:
The liberation of Palestine, from an international point of view, is a defensive act required by the demands of self-defense as set forth in the Charter of the United Nations. That is why the people of Palestine, desirous of being friends with all nations that love freedom, justice and peace, look forward to your support in restoring the legitimate status in Palestine, establishing peace and security in its territory and enabling its people to exercise national sovereignty and freedom.
Article 17:
The partition of Palestine, which took place in 1947, and the establishment of Israel are illegal, null and void, regardless of the time that has elapsed, because they were contrary to the will of the Palestinian people and their natural right to their homeland, and constituted a violation of the basic principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. mainly the right to self-determination.
Article 18:
The Balfour Declaration, the Palestinian Mandate System and everything that has been based on them are considered null and void. Claims of historical and spiritual ties between Jews and Palestine do not accord with the facts of history or with the actual foundations of a legitimate state. Judaism, being a divine religion, is not a nationality with independent existence. Moreover, Jews are not a single people with an independent personality, as they are citizens of their respective states.
Article 19:
Zionism is a colonialist movement in its origin, aggressive and expansionist in its aim, racist in its configurations, and fascist in its means and ends. Israel, as the spearhead of this destructive movement and as a pillar of colonialism, is a permanent source of tension and turmoil in the Middle East in particular and in the international community in general. That is why the people of Palestine deserve the support and sustenance of the community of nations.
Article 20:
The causes of peace and security and the requirements of law and justice demand of all nations, in order to safeguard true relations between peoples and maintain the loyalty of citizens to their homeland, to consider Zionism an illegal movement and to outlaw its presence and activities.
Article 21:
The Palestinian people believe in the principles of justice, freedom, sovereignty, self-determination, human dignity and the right of peoples to practice these principles. It also supports all international efforts to achieve peace on the basis of justice and free international cooperation.
Article 22:
The Palestinian people believe in peaceful coexistence on the basis of legal existence, for there can be no coexistence with aggression, nor can there be peace with occupation and colonialism.
Article 23:
In order to realize the objectives and principles of this Charter, the Palestine Liberation Organization fully fulfils its role of liberating Palestine in accordance with the basic law of this Organization.
Article 24:
This Organization does not exercise any territorial sovereignty over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, over the Gaza Strip or over the Himmah Area. Its activities will be carried out at the national grassroots level in the liberational, organizational, political and financial fields.
Article 25:
This Organization is in charge of the movement of the Palestinian people in their struggle to liberate their homeland in all liberational, organizational and financial matters, and in all other necessities of the Palestinian question in the Arab and international spheres.
Article 26:
The Liberation Organization cooperates with all Arab governments, each according to its capacity, and does not interfere in the internal affairs of any Arab state.
Article 27:
This Organization will have its flag, oath and national anthem. All this will be resolved in accordance with special regulations.
Article 28:
The basic law of the Palestine Liberation Organization is attached to this Charter. This law defines the manner in which the Organization, its organs, institutions, the specialties of each of them and all the necessary functions assigned to it in accordance with this Charter are to be established.
Article 29:
This Charter may not be amended except by a two-thirds majority of the members of the National Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization at a special session convened for this purpose
