Yasser Arafat, Palestine

We stand, with the victims, against terrorism.

The terrorist crime in New York and Washington is a great disaster that affected all humanity and struck at civilization and human decency.

From Bethlehem, the cradle of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, from Jerusalem and Al Haram Ash-shareef, the ascendance of prophet Muhammad to Heaven, and from the churches and mosques on our holy land, rises the voice of the injured and tortured Palestinian offering his condolences and consolations to the friendly American people and its leadership who were struck by this malicious terrorist crime that caused the death of thousands of its innocent sons.

I, and the people of Palestine, suffering from occupation, pray for the innocent victims in New York and Washington. We join our voices to all those sincere ones calling for joint action under the flag of the United Nations to destroy all forms of terrorism, which is a danger to humanity and to the sacred human right to life.

Peace should prevail for the sake of all humanity, and in the Holy Land, the Land of Peace.

President Yasser Arafat

Gaza, 17 September 2001.