Photo by Mahdi Zoroub
The political and moral collapse of the Palestinian National Authority in the face of the Israeli occupation regime and its imperial hegemony—backed by the United States—has exposed a painful truth: the structure that was supposed to represent the interests of the Palestinian people has become an instrument that betrays them. Given this situation, the task of rebuilding national representation on genuinely patriotic, democratic, and unifying foundations is urgently needed.
The reaffirmation of the Commitment to the 1968 Palestinian National Charter and to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people constitutes the indispensable starting point. The PLO was recognized by the UN and by most of the world’s states as the authentic voice of a people fighting for its liberation. Today, however, its role has been eroded by decades of divisions, empty agreements, and subordination to interests alien to the national project.
In this sense, the proposal—promoted since the recent Cairo meeting and supported by voices like that of Dr. Mustafa Barghouti—to form a National Unification Commission represents a real hope for recovery. This commission must integrate all political and social forces, without exclusion or hegemony, as well as representatives of exile, prisoners, women, youth, and refugee camps. Only from a collective, pluralistic vision committed to the national interest can a new Palestinian legitimacy emerge.
The immediate objective of this commission must be the reorganization of the national front: appoint an official spokesperson, form specialized teams on the issues of prisoners, refugees, essential services, confiscated lands, and the situation of Palestinians within the 1948 territory, and become the unified voice of the Palestinian people in the media and international forums.
A body that speaks with clarity, firmness, and dignity—in contrast to the complicit silence and subservience of the current Authority.
The lessons of history are clear: when peoples face fragmentation and existential threat, unity based on popular legitimacy becomes the most powerful weapon. Palestine cannot wait any longer. The reconstruction of the PLO on national, democratic, and participatory foundations is an urgent necessity.
UPAL calls on all Palestinian organizations, communities, and leaders—inside and outside the occupied land—to support the convening of this National Unification Commission and to actively participate in its founding meeting. Only in this way can the Palestinian people regain control of their destiny, once again raising the banner of liberation and return, without tutelage, without divisions, and without betrayals.
Palestinian Union of Latin America – UPAL
October 28, 2025
