The Yasser Arafat Foundation, in collaboration with the Institute of Public Policy , held a seminar titled "Palestinian National Unity: Between Aspiration and Implementation, and the Realization of Unified Representation and Strengthening the Internal Front" on Monday, July 28, 2025, at the headquarters of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Ramallah. The event was attended by several national figures and representatives of official and community institutions.
Dr. Ahmed Soboh, Chairman of the Yasser Arafat Foundation’s Board of Directors, emphasized the importance of translating Palestinian national unity into practical steps, particularly given the ongoing genocide and unprecedented aggression against the people, the cause, and the land for nearly 22 months.
Dr. Soboh pointed out that the seminar coincided with the opening of the international conference on a two-state solution in New York, chaired jointly by Saudi Arabia and France, and the French declaration of recognizing the State of Palestine. It also aligned with the entry of some humanitarian aid to Gaza under unprecedented international pressure on the occupation.
He stressed that internal Palestinian unity is foundational, and that the PLO, as the legitimate representative, is a national achievement that must be preserved and its institutions activated. Internal reform, according to Soboh, is a constant national necessity, not an external demand. He further noted that immediate and comprehensive national dialogue is the gateway to elections following the cessation of hostilities.
Dr. Mohammad Awda, President of the Institute of Public Policy Institute, remarked that this seminar takes place at a pivotal national moment for Palestine, particularly amidst Israel’s occupation ongoing settlement policies and attempts to undermine the Palestinian national project by creating field and political realities that target Palestinian rights and attempt to replace the PLO as the sole legitimate representative.
He added that Israel's occupation aggression has raised urgent questions regarding the unity of Palestinian political decision-making, the discrepancies in positions, and the national readiness to capitalize on field sacrifices in a unified political and national path. Dr. Awda highlighted the importance of the seminar as a space for serious discussions on the national reconciliation process, assessing its obstacles, and exploring ways to move beyond stagnation and division toward a unifying national vision based on political partnership and national interest.
He reiterated the centrality of the PLO as a unifying national framework and the importance of strengthening its role as the sole national reference in the face of attempts to create alternatives, warning of the dangers posed to national unity and the future of the Palestinian cause.
Dr. Wasil Abu Youssef, member of the PLO Executive Committee and Secretary General of the Palestinian Liberation Front, addressed the national dimensions of unified representation within the PLO, stressing that the organization’s status as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people cannot be undermined. He also affirmed the importance of upholding Palestinian national constants to achieve full independence.
Dr. Abu Youssef added that the seminar comes amid the ongoing genocide and destruction of all Palestinian areas in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, and he thanked the Yasser Arafat Foundation and the Public Policy Institute for organizing the event. He noted that the Israeli government is following clear strategies to destroy the Palestinian cause through genocide in Gaza, destruction in northern refugee camps, and the blocking of UNRWA operations.
He emphasized that Netanyahu has long sought the destruction of Gaza since entering politics, and that the current Israeli right-wing government is based on annexation, land confiscation, and the expulsion of Bedouin communities, making every effort to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Abu Youssef also spoke of the PLO’s founding as a beacon of hope, transforming Palestinian issues into inalienable rights despite the obstacles. He stressed that the sacrifices made by the PLO, particularly under the leadership of the late Yasser Arafat, were to preserve the PLO and its independent national decision-making.
He called for the activation of the PLO and its frameworks to confront the unprecedented dangers it faces. Hani al-Masri, Director-General of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Strategic Studies (Masarat), then discussed "A Critical Review of National Reconciliation Attempts Since 2007," stressing the need to implement national unity as a national demand. Despite numerous attempts at reconciliation, he emphasized the importance of continuing efforts.
Al-Masri noted that the division of 2007 was not an isolated event but rather a result of Hamas’s actions since its formation, despite the offers Yasser Arafat made at the time for them to join the PLO. He pointed out that every national dialogue session since March 2005 had been different from the previous one, highlighting the need for an inclusive dialogue that does not exclude any party.
He further addressed the current need to shape a vision that aligns with the Palestinian people's aspirations for independence and the establishment of a Palestinian state, emphasizing that Israel benefits from the internal Palestinian division and does not want either the Palestinian Authority or Hamas to succeed. Israel is focused on plans for annexation, displacement, and chaos in Gaza and the West Bank. Al-Masri concluded by asserting that there will be no Palestinian legitimacy without national unity and attributed the delay in implementing reconciliation to the absence of a clear vision and political program agreed upon by all parties. The seminar concluded with an open discussion session, moderated by Dr. Awda Masharqa, Director-General of the Yasser Arafat Foundation.
