The member nations of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that gathered in Makkah have confirmed their overwhelming support for our Arab brothers in their quest for Palestinian statehood and justice for its people. The timing of the OIC endorsement is critical, given that in the coming days and weeks the administration in Washington will be unveiling its proposals for peace there.
Make no mistake, every member of the OIC stands shoulder to shoulder with our Palestinian brothers in their search for peace and a lasting settlement that will end the historic injustices of these past seven decades. And while other issues in the confluence of current events may have temporarily pushed the Palestinians cause from centre stage, a just solution remains the most critical and seminal issue for Arabs across the Middle East.
Make no mistake either, finding a just and lasting peace is a core issue that reaches beyond the Arab community — it is one that has preoccupied the global community, with our Palestinian brothers receiving the backing of the vast majority of nations in the General Assembly of the United Nations. Indeed, whether it be through lobbying, taking administrative and judicial measures, or fully engaging and supporting the boycott movement, the injustices and illegal actions of Israel will continue to be opposed at every step.
The wilful theft of Palestinian lands, the addition of illegal colonies, the subjugation of Palestinians rights that are well-founded in history, heritage and international accords must cease.
While the current US administration has gone to great lengths to marginalise Palestinians and has given an unprecedented level of support to the occupation government by recognising occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and supporting its illegal claim to the occupied Golan Heights, those political wrongs hold no weight with all right-thinking nations. The OIC endorsement serves as a reminder to the global community, the Palestinians’ allies and friends, that their marginalisation is but a sham perpetuated by the occupation government and its backers in Washington.
Simply put, the wilful theft of Palestinian lands, the addition of illegal colonies, the subjugation of Palestinians rights that are well-founded in history, heritage and international accords must cease. Israel’s policy of apartheid against the Palestinians people must cease too. The global community, the Arab people, the OIC — and every host of other international groups or entities — will never abandon our Palestinian brothers and their quest for a just and lasting peace.
While Washington may be placing the final touches to what it terms as the ‘Deal of the Century’, the reality is that Palestine, its people, every family living in diaspora or who have suffered from the injustices foisted on them by Israel, deserve far more than any huckster’s hype.
