End suffering of Palestinian people

As the world marks the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Nov.29 (Friday), it is imperative that the global community reaffirms its commitment to upholding the rights of the Palestinian people.

The world should extend unstinted support to the Palestinians in their ongoing struggle to achieve self-determination, independence and sovereignty.

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has rightly reiterated the UAE’s support for the aspirations of the Palestinian people to self-determination, highlighting the country’s regional and international efforts to ease their suffering.

His statement as part of a solidarity message directed to Ambassador Cheikh Niang, Chair of the United Nations, Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, reinforces the fact that the UAE stands firmly in support of the legitimate rights of Palestinians.

Sheikh Khalifa has aptly highlighted the unprecedented critical period witnessed by the Palestinian people, in light of Israel’s ongoing aggression and its attempts to reinforce its occupation of Palestinian territories, stressing that it is the UN’s responsibility to end the suffering of the Palestinian people and urging Israel to end its unilateral measures and occupation.

The UAE, under the framework of its joint responsibility with other Arab countries to support the Palestinian cause and improve security and stability in the region, has reiterated its rejection of all escalating Israeli violations that have undermined the international efforts to advance the Middle East Peace Process.

The Palestinian cause will undoubtedly remain the central issue of Arabs and one that concerns them.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres too has correctly underscored the fact that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains one of the most intractable challenges facing the international community.

The Palestinian people have endured more than 70 years of tragedies and crises, but have remained steadfast in order to achieve their just goal.

In 1947, the United Nations accepted the responsibility of finding a just solution for the Palestine issue, and still grapples with this task today. Just recently, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the UN Security Council that pervasive deteriorating facts on the ground in Israeli-Palestinian conflict, are pushing us every further from achieving a viable two-State solution.

With the spotlight on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Special Envoy Nicolay Mlandenov detailed “new dangerous flashpoints” emerging in the region, under rapidly shifting developments in the Middle East as a whole, which have snowballed into a growing threat to international peace and security.

Occupations in Palestinian areas continue, and no progresss has been made in realising a negotiated two-State solution, he reported during his quarterly update to the Council on the Middle East. “It is a multi-generational tragedy for the peoples of this land.”

Blind support by Washington has emboldened Israel to embark on a dangerous path. This is especially so considering a series of actions taken by the Donald Trump administration which has clearly been in favour of Israel and none in support of the Palestinian cause.

The halting of funds to the UNRWA, recognising occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, relocating US embassy from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem, refusing to restrain Israel from illegally expanding settlements are just a few among such moves hostile to Palestinians.  

The fact remains that a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region will not be achieved without the two-state solution, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international resolutions.