In the past, Arab consensus over the issue of the Palestinian people's rights to gain full membership in the UN seemed like an unobtainable dream, no matter what the circumstances.
Today, for the first time in Arab history, it appears that there is a unanimous agreement on the fate of the Palestinian people and their state. Nations, who have dictated the fate of other nations and coerced them into treading paths they were loath to walk upon, now see their claims refuted by the rest of the world.
Indeed, the current stance of the Palestinian leadership will gain an honourable mention in history after decades of failure on the part of the Arab world to unite behind a nation's just right to human dignity and its right to self determination. Today, the Palestinian National Authority stands beside its people, no longer intimidated by international pressures, especially from the US.
These pressures, exerted upon Arab governments against the creation of a Palestinian state — against Arab rights — have finally managed to tarnish the political and economic relationships between the two sides.
We are now witnessing the outright rejection of this humiliating condition as the Arabs stand together and refuse to succumb to a pressure that seeks to prevent the Palestinians from gaining their rightful seat to representation in a global body.
To serve the interests of Israel, the American administration mobilised all its diplomatic resources and put pressure on a number of Gulf states, cautioning against such a step.
Saudi Arabia bore the brunt of the pressure. It stood firm, however, and issued a statement advising the US administration not to damage bilateral relations between the two countries through such acts.
As UAE citizens, we have no doubt that similar pressure was and is being exerted on our government as well against the just demands of the Palestinian people. However, we have full faith in our government and its wise leadership, which has always stood firm beside our brethren in Palestine.
The American administration's double standards do not surprise us any more. It has frequently used its ‘veto' to deny the Palestinians their legitimate rights, while paying lip service to liberation movements and the rights of Arab nations to democracy and freedom from dictatorships — rights and aspirations the US administration clearly does not believe in when it comes to the Palestinian people.
However, it warms the heart to see the global community finally acknowledging the rights of the Palestinian people to be represented at the UN, giving us hope for peace and co-existence in the future.
We must persevere in standing firm for our rights. Now, we must ensure that we do not slide back to the past. We have had enough, we have the right, and we must go forward.
Regardless of who they choose as their leaders, we must continue to support the Palestinian people's rights to be formally represented at the United Nations.
Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi is the chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and wife of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
