Peace should prevail

The world must act united to solve the long-standing deadly issue between Israel and Palestine (“Palestinians to file complaint over Honduras Jerusalem move,” Aug.30, Gulf Today).

There should be a peaceful solution of Palestine. People of Palestine have sacrificed everything to get the freedom from occupying forces.

The decades-long deadly conflict needs to be addressed honestly.

The Palestinian foreign ministry said on Thursday it would file a complaint at the United Nations against Honduras, after the Central American state recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Israel considers all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital, while the Palestinians see the eastern part of the city as the capital of their future state.

US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as capital of the Jewish state in December 2017, breaking with decades of international consensus that the city’s status should be decided in peace talks. Both Washington and Israel have since encouraged other countries to take similar steps.

So far only Guatemala and Paraguay have transferred their embassies, and Paraguay later reversed its decision.  On Tuesday, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez announced that his country would open a diplomatic office in Jerusalem.

The mission will be an extension of Honduras’ Tel Aviv-based embassy, but Hernandez said on Tuesday it was “recognition that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.” In a statement on Thursday, the Palestinian foreign ministry confirmed it would submit a formal complaint against Honduras to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

I would like to appeal to powerful countries of the world: for God’s sake sit together and take necessary steps that pay the way for a peaceful solution of the decades-old Palestine issue once and for all.

Millions of innocent people have died in the conflict between Palestine and Israel. There should be an end to the unannounced war between Israel and Palestine.

Jahangir Khan
By email