HE Speaker of the Shura Council Hassan bin Abdullah al-Ghanem has reiterated Qatar’s firm and supportive position towards the Palestinian cause, stressing the rejection of all attempts aimed at liquidating it, whether through displacement projects, settlement expansion, or imposing solutions that detract from the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
This came in the speech delivered by HE al-Ghanem during the 7th conference of the Arab Parliament and the Presidents of Arab Councils and Parliaments that was held in Cairo Saturday. It is jointly organised by the Arab Parliament and the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union to discuss ways to provide parliamentary support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and enhance joint Arab parliamentary action to confront regional and international challenges.
He said that the continued suffering of the Palestinians, in light of an aggression that disregarded international laws and international legitimacy resolutions, requires more decisive Arab and international action to confront these crimes and provide international protection for the Palestinians. He pointed to the diplomatic efforts made by Qatar, under the leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, in co-operation with Egypt and the US, to reach a ceasefire agreement, exchange prisoners, and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, despite obstacles and challenges. HE al-Ghanem stressed that Qatar, out of its national and humanitarian responsibilities, continued to play its effective diplomatic role to find a just and comprehensive solution that ensures the end of the suffering of the Palestinians and the cessation of the ongoing Israeli aggression, stressing the need to force the occupation government to implement international agreements and hold the international community responsible for any violations or attempts to breach these agreements.
In a related context, he condemned the irresponsible Israeli statements regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state on the lands of Saudi Arabia, considering this a flagrant violation of international laws and an unacceptable attempt to legitimise displacement and change the demographic composition of the region. HE the Speaker of the Shura Council also stressed the rejection of any attempts to impose unilateral solutions that ignore the historical and sovereign rights of the Palestinian people. He stressed that the Arab consensus is firm in rejecting any attempts to resettle the Palestinians or liquidate their cause, noting that the unified Arab position is based on the necessity of establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
HE al-Ghanem denounced the role played by the Knesset in the Israeli entity in legislating illegal settlements and issuing laws that provide legal cover for the serious violations committed against the Palestinians, calling on international parliamentary unions and regional parliamentary organisations to take a clear and firm position towards these policies, and to work to suspend the Knesset’s membership in the Inter-Parliamentary Union, considering it an institution that does not respect international laws or the basic principles governing parliamentary work.
HE the Speaker also noted the ongoing Israeli attempts to undermine the role of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), stressing that this reflects the occupation’s intention to obliterate the rights of the Palestinians, not just deny them.
At the end of the conference, the participants adopted an Arab parliamentary document that emphasised the Arab constants in supporting the Palestinian cause. The document also stressed the need for effective Arab parliamentary action to support the rights of the Palestinian people, mobilise international support, and enhance humanitarian aid.
