Dr. Ahmed Soboh, Director General of the Yasser Arafat Foundation, emphasized that 46 years have passed since the United Nations adopted the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Despite the historical injustices, this decision still serves as the legal and political basis for the unestablished State of Palestine, and it is time to end the occupation for its independence.
This came during the event organized by the International Academic Campaign Against the Israeli Occupation and Apartheid and the Yasser Arafat Foundation entitled “Stop Genocide/Recognize the Palestinian State” on, Wednesday, 11/29/2023, which coincides with the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, in Al-Muntada Hall of the Yasser Arafat Museum.
Dr. Soboh criticized the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, stating it is a genocide and ethnic cleansing. He welcomed any truces that end the aggression, stating that the current situation in Jenin, Tubas, Jericho, and other West Bank cities is an extension of the bloodshed, which continues to be shed in Gaza.
Dr. Soboh emphasized the unity of the Palestinian people in their fight against the Israeli occupation and their representation in the organization. He praised the global efforts to defend the Palestinian cause and called for decision-makers to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people in the two-state solution and their right to self-determination.
Dr. Soboh emphasized the importance of rights and representation, stating that there is no representation without rights and no rights without representation. He criticized those who transcend the PLO and praised Egypt and Jordan's support for the Palestinian cause during the current aggression against the Palestinian people.
Saleh Raafat, a member of the PLO Executive Committee and Feda Party Secretary-General, celebrated the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on behalf of President Mahmoud Abbas. The day was approved by the United Nations General Assembly due to the destruction and violation of the Palestinian state and people. Raafat emphasized that the Palestinian people are subjected to genocide and are not willing to leave their land or give up their rights.
Raafat criticized the Israeli government for implementing a de facto policy of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and Jerusalem, stating that it involves storming cities, destroying infrastructure, and arresting citizens. He urged all countries to provide humanitarian and medical aid to Gaza to confront their genocidal war.
He emphasized that security solutions are ineffective and that the only solution is a political one based on international resolutions and the Arab initiative. He called for Palestine's full membership in the United Nations and a global conference to achieve a just peace based on international legitimacy resolutions.
On behalf of the President, Saleh praised the International Academic Campaign Against the Israeli Occupation and Apartheid for its role in promoting the Palestinian narrative and truth since the start of the war. He greeted friendly countries supporting the rights and the Palestinian cause, stating that victory is imminent and history supports the Palestinian cause.
For his part, Dr. Ramzi Odeh, Secretary General of the International Academic Campaign Against the Israeli Occupation and Apartheid, said that the voice of the Palestinian people is one voice, and the only representative of the Palestinian people is the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Odeh added that the academic campaign has refuted the Zionist narrative globally, with participation from the Fatah movement, all Palestinian parties, and the Palestinian community. The campaign has also participated in international events to promote and defend the Palestinian cause. Odeh announced that the campaign will conduct 20 events at both Arab and international levels to introduce the Palestinian cause and challenge the Israeli narrative during the Gaza Strip genocide.
Odeh continued that the conflict is rooted in the Israeli occupation's failure to recognize an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Academic campaign members are facing restrictions and attacks from the Israeli occupation and its agents worldwide, including a recent shooting, calling for an international law protecting Palestinians defending their cause.
Qaddoura Fares, Minister of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, criticized the Israeli occupation state for its gang-based methods of maintaining power through massacres. He emphasized the constant anxiety Israeli society faces to buy time for their oppressive and monstrous regime. Fares also highlighted the global recognition of the Palestinian people's steadfastness and resistance, which has transformed the streets since the Gaza Strip genocide began on October 7. He also highlighted the significant divide between the ruling elite and those who support the Palestinian people's freedom and independence.
He said: "What the Gaza Strip is currently exposed to is not a war against Hamas and not a war against the Palestinian people, but rather a war against humanity."
The Minister stated that the prisoners are subjected to the utmost levels of torture and that the Prison Service gang singles out the prisoners to break their will, and the process of repression and coercion led to the martyrdom of 6 prisoners since the seventh of last October and hundreds of wounded and injured.
The PLO's Human Rights Department Director General, Qasim Awad, presented statistics on genocide against the Palestinian people. The Palestinian Association for Contemporary Art (PACA) President Osama Nazzal discussed the role of Palestinian artists on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The participating artists were honored in an art exhibition on genocide before the event.
