Palestinians gather for popular resistance conference
PM Salam Fayyad endorses non-violent resistance during conference in Bilin
"The non-violent popular resistance is showing results and the whole world supports us on this issue," declared Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad at the International Conference for Popular Resistance in Bilin. This is the seventh year the conference is being held.
The three-day gathering is being attended by hundreds of Palestinians, foreign activists, Palestinian diplomats and senior officials.
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Addressing a Quartet meeting to be held in Washington on Wednesday, Fayyad said that the Mideast mediators must show more empathy towards the Palestinians.
The Palestinian prime minister refused to address questions about his scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The conference paid tribute to Palestinians killed during anti-fence protests whose photos were displayed at the event.
Basel Mansour, a member of Bilin's popular committee declared 2012 as the year of popular resistance and called on the Palestinians to devise a comprehensive strategic plan for non-violent resistance.
The general message of the conference was that while the struggle is slow and not always rewarding it is the right way to fight Israel, unlike armed resistance.
Naji Tamimi of Nabi Saleh stressed the need to boost ties with Israeli activists who support popular resistance and called for a boycott of all Israeli goods.
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