November 15: The Palestinian Declaration of Independence

The Palestinian Declaration of Independence, written by the renowned poet Mahmoud Darwish (1941-2008), was proclaimed by Yasser Arafat on this date in 1988 at the closing session of the 19th Palestinian National Council. The declaration invoked the UN Partition Plan of 1947 — originally rejected by Palestinian and other Arab leaders — as the foundation for Palestinian statehood, and proclaimed Jerusalem as the state’s capital. There was no explicit recognition of the state of Israel, however, although an accompanying document that referenced UN Security Council Resolution 242, along with statements by Arafat in Geneva a month later, were accepted by the U.S. as adequate for the opening of diplomatic relations with the PLO. A UN resolution acknowledging the proclamation was supported by 114 states, with 44 absentions and two negative votes (U.S. and Israel). Within three months, the state of Palestine was recognized by 93 governments around the world.
“Governance will be based on principles of social justice, equality and non-discrimination in public rights of men or women, on grounds of race, religion, color or sex, under the aegis of a constitution which ensures the rule of law and an independent judiciary. Thus shall these principles allow no departure from Palestine’s age-old spiritual and civilisational heritage of tolerance and religious coexistence.” —The Palestinian Declaration of Independence