CAIRO, April 17 (IslamOnline.net) - The current American and Zionist pressures on Syria are aimed at bringing to a cessation all forms of support rendered by Syria to Arab movements resisting the Israeli occupation, particularly Hezbollah, Secretary General of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) Nayeef Hawatma told IslamOnline.net Thursday, April 17.

Speaking to IslamOnline.net over the phone from Syria, Hawatma condemned the latest series of U.S. and Israeli accusations against Syria of harboring Palestinian "terrorist organizations."

"Palestinian organizations and powers (in Syria) are located in refugee camps that house four million Palestinian refugees," he said.

"All over the past years, the Palestinian democratic and national factions have got used to cope with different environments and developments, since their first and foremost goal is to liberate the (Palestinian) land and establish the Palestinian state. They will never give up this goal no matter how strong pressures are."

Hawatma recalled that Syria has been shouldering the burden of Palestinian refugees, who should come back to the occupied Palestinian territories in conformity with U.N. Security Council resolution 194 of 1948.

"The blame, in effect, should be heaped over this country (Israel) which rebuffs all relevant UNSC resolutions and the return of those refugees, who were coerced into leaving their motherland more than 50 years ago," he said.

"Israel is fully aware that they (Syrians) are the ones who have been supporting the Palestinian resistance for 40 years and wants to strip them of their weapons and morale to put an end to their uphill struggle against it," the Palestinian official said.

Hawatma also expected that the U.S.-led war on Iraq would have its dramatic changes on the Palestinian cause, especially on the struggle of the Palestinian people to gain independence and freedom.

"The U.S. pressures will push for killing this struggle once and for all and entrenching other alternatives that suit fine (U.S. President George W.) Bush and (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon.

Hawatma said Syria is capable of halting the "domino policy" adopted by the Bush administration in the Middle East, noting that it started with Iraq while Sharon was trying to take advantage of the status quo and foment a showdown between the U.S. and Syria.

"Syria reiterates its rejections to the U.S. accusations of having weapons of mass destruction and harboring fleeing Iraqi officials and stands ready to hold dialogue with the U.S.," he said.

Meanwhile, Hawatma expects that the few days ahead will see the formation of the new Palestinian cabinet.

He anticipated Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and prime minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen) to bridge their political gaps.

"The compromise (between Arafat and Abu Mazen) is based on what is called the half-by-half principle, in other words, Arafat will name the half of the new cabinet, while Abu Mazen will name the other half," Hawatma said.

"But all evidence suggests that the balance will tilt towards Abu Mazen at the end of the day, but no one can disregard the leverage wield by Arafat at the same time."

Hawatma said the DFLP rejected to join the new cabinet after talks with Arafat and Abu Mazen had come to a dead end, asserting that the front would not join any cabinet unless its demands would be met.

The DFLP calls for adopting common political denominators between all Palestinian factions; a platform of a comprehensive political reform for the institutions of the Palestinian Authority, a new election law based on the principle of proportional representation and the election of a democratic parliament.