Palestinians OK Independent State in Occupied Lands
Palestinian leaders agreed today to proclaim an independent Palestinian state in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip following a marathon meeting of their parliament-in-exile, PLO sources said.
They said the “declaration of independence” would be announced later in the day at the Palestine National Council.
The council, which represents Palestinians scattered through the Arab world, also was expected to show majority support--about 85%--for a “political statement” that would endorse U.N. Resolution 242, which implicitly recognizes Israel’s right to exist.
PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat succeeded in persuading a majority of the members of the PNC to accept Resolution 242 together with an assertion of the right to Palestinian self-determination, the PLO sources said.
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