VZCZCXRO2245
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHTU #2823 3340737
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 300737Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2274
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS TUNIS 002823 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG - HARRIS AND NEA/IPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPAL TS
SUBJECT: BEN ALI STATEMENT ON SOLIDARITY WITH THE 
PALESTINIANS 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) On November 28, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali 
issued a statement calling on the international community to 
protect the Palestinian people.  On the occasion of the 
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 
(November 29), Ben Ali reinforced Tunisia's traditional 
support for the rights of the Palestinian people and the need 
for a just peace.  Given Tunisia's historical relationship 
with the Palestinian cause and community, it was no surprise 
that Ben Ali chose to issue a public statement on this 
occasion. 
 
¶2. (U) STATEMENT TEXT (OFFICIAL TUNIS NEWS AGENCY 
TRANSLATION): 
 
Begin Text: 
 
On the celebration tomorrow of world day of solidarity with 
the Palestinian people, president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali 
addressed to the international community a message 
reiterating Tunisia's call to ensure as quickly as possible 
an international protection to the Palestinian people. 
 
The head of state reaffirmed Tunisia's constant support and 
total solidarity with the Palestinian people in their heroic 
fight to recover their legitimate rights and build-up their 
independent state.  In view of the deterioration of the 
situation in the occupied Palestinian territories after the 
repeated Israeli attacks that resulted in several victims and 
caused a lot of destructions, the head of state expressed in 
this message Tunisia's deep concern and urged the influential 
international parties, foremost among which the Quartet, the 
security council and the international public opinion to 
assume their responsibilities and incite Israel to show 
support to the peace process on the basis of relevant 
international resolutions and the multiple Arab initiatives, 
so as to enable the Palestinian people to fulfill their 
legitimate aspirations. 
 
Tunisia urged as well the UNO (sic) and more particularly the 
committee entrusted with the protection of the inalienable 
rights of the Palestinian people to carry on and increase 
efforts to reinforce and materialize these rights, in 
accordance with UN resolutions, so that the Palestinian 
people might live in freedom and dignity and in order to 
reinforce the foundations of peace and stability in the 
region and in the world. 
 
End Text. 
GODEC