Yesterday Palestine was recognized as a nonmember observer state in the United Nations, some Palestinian voices remind us that this “victory” tastes more like a bitter defeat.

The bid-for-statehood initiative was an imposition and disregarded all the internal criticism that it has received. It was hailed to be a new step in our people's long march towards achieving our political ambitions. However, we must pause and consider, what are these ambitions? And how does this step serve our national project?

In a political climate in which there is an absence of clearly stated goals and which is marked by political division it becomes possible for any party to become a self-appointed spokesperson for our cause. These self-appointed spokespersons take advantage of this political climate to discredit all voices of dissent, going as far as labeling them as traitors. In such a situation, who can hold them accountable?

It is evident that these dissenting voices, that are critical to bid-for-statehood initiative, have been unheard, disorganized and fragmented. This is not due to their irrelevance, but rather due to an absence of alternative options that are worthy of the efforts of those who have sacrificed with their blood for the struggle. Every battle that our people has undertaken has cost a heavy price, as such the responsibility falls on us to assure that these battles were not fought in vein and most certainly not in the favor of a weak and corrupt leadership.

Our liberation will be won not on the basis of normalization with the Zionist colonial regime, rather it will be gained with the path that was written with the blood of our martyrs. We reaffirm that the only path that we are concerned with is the path that explicitly heads towards the liberation of our land and the return of our people to Palestine... All Palestine. .

Until Return and Liberation,

Palestinian Youth Movement

To Read 2011 Statementclick here