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May 25, 1981

No. 0620/D/003105/25.05.1981, 'Memo [about a Meeting between Yasser Arafat and Palestinian Students]'

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No. 0620/D/003105/25.05.1981

Copy no. 3

 

Memo

 

On May 25 1981, between 15:00 and 16:20, on the premises of the PLO Office in Bucharest, Yasser Arafat met 150 Palestinian students and employees of the PLO Office.

 

In his speech, Yasser Arafat underlined the role of the PLO in the fight against imperialism and Zionism, the need to intensify operations, and diversify the methods of fighting, as well as to consolidate the unity of the Arab League against Israel and its supporters.

 

He mentioned that [the PLO] owes its political and military successes obtained in 1967 to its alliance with Syria and the concrete support it received from the majority of states in the region. The US-Israeli strategy aims at defeating Syria, who is the main ally of the Palestinian people, at the international level.

 

Moreover, he noted that Western European countries must increase the pressure they put on Israel and compel Israel to adopt a political solution to the situation in the region.

 

Regarding his visit to our country, he informed those who took part in the meeting that the discussions he had with ‘my brother, comrade Nicolae Ceaușescu, focused on the issue of finding a political solution to the conflict in the region and I hope that these discussions will bear a positive outcome.’

 

In conclusion, Yasser Arafat underlined the fact that the Palestinian people receives considerable material and moral support from socialist states, above all from the Soviet Union.

 

After Yasser Arafat’s departure from the PLO Office, the attendants said that his visit to Romania and his meeting with Palestinian students represents a historic event for the Palestinian Student Union in our country.

 

The Special Counter-terrorism Unit, together with the First Directorate, the Third Directorate, and the Municipal Police Unit – Bucharest, will continue their surveillance of Palestinian students and PLO Office employees, to learn about their reaction to Yasser Arafat’s visit to Romania, and to prevent potential hostile operations carried out against our country.

 

Memo about Yasser Arafat's meeting with Palestinian students.


Document Information

Source

Consiliul Național pentru Studierea Arhivelor Securității (National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives), Folder D13891, Volume 43, Surveillance Target: OLGA [Palestine Liberation Organization], p. 96. Contributed and translated by Eliza Gheorghe.

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Original Uploaded Date

2020-03-27

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220061

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Bilkent University