Safeguard Palestinians, urges Amir – Call for unity

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ISTANBUL, May 19: The State of Kuwait will continue diplomatic efforts until the United Nations Security Council issues a resolution for protecting the Palestinian people, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- pledged on Friday.

“At the time members of the Security Council mourn the martyrs expressing their sentiments toward the grave tragedy and hardship, the council stands idle and incapable of offering aid to the unarmed civilians, either in a statement or resolution of condemnation,” said His Highness the Amir, addressing the extraordinary Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit, held here on plight of the Palestinian people namely latest Israeli attacks in Gaza that left at least 60 Palestinian martyr.

Although His Highness the Amir voiced frustration with the UNSC failure to issue an effective resolution for the Palestinian cause, he vowed that the State of Kuwait would pursue the bids to issue a resolution stipulating international protection for the brotherly Palestinian people; in the face of the repressive Israeli practices.

“My country will also continue the bids in support of the Palestinian brothers for attaining their legitimate right of establishing the independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital as mentioned in the international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab peace initiative and the two States’ principle,” His Highness the Amir emphasized. His Highness noted Kuwait, through its non-permanent membership at the UNSC, sought to issue a statement condemning the Israeli breaches, calling to bring the perpetrators into account, regretfully however, the council failed to issue such a resolution.

Currently, consultations are being conducted among the member states regarding a draft resolution that “we have presented regarding the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories stipulating international protection for the Palestinian people,” His Highness the Amir disclosed. His Highness expressed deep distress at the tragic events in many countries namely the occupied territories, Syria, Yemen and Myanmar. “We have witnessed in these regions breaches of human rights, fierce humanitarian hardship, while we have taken resolutions at the Security Council and within framework of the international legitimacy that do not reach the implementation phase.

“The frustration and despair have been aggravated due to this situation, thus we are compelled to revise our action mechanisms at various levels to resolve the real crisis of values and principles. “The decision to transfer the American embassy to Jerusalem unilaterally and the subsequent repercussions constitute blatant defiance of believers in heavenly religions and stark evidence of the real moralistic crisis we are experiencing.”

His Highness the Amir, who began the statement saluting the top host, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality, said, “We have followed up with grave pain and distress the occupation Israeli Army employment of excessive force against our innocent brothers, the Palestinian people, among whom scores have been killed and thousands have been wounded. His Highness the Amir’s speech during the emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation clearly expressed feelings of despair and frustration over the consequences of providing ground for violence due to the failure to implement principles and decisions on international legitimacy, especially regarding the Palestinian issue, says Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanim.

In a press statement, Al-Ghanim pointed out, “HH the Amir highlighted the consequences of the absence of international legitimacy and failure to implement the international humanitarian law. This is in addition to unilateral decisions, such as the American administration’s decision to transfer its embassy to Jerusalem which could lead to violence.” Al-Ghanim said HH the Amir reviewed the Kuwaiti efforts in the United Nations Security Council and its attempt to issue a statement or resolution on the protection of Palestinians and condemnation of the practices of occupiers.

He commended the Amir for spotlighting Kuwait’s continuous efforts to issue an international resolution on international protection for Palestinians in the occupied territories. “HH the Amir continues to adopt a clear and unequivocal national, Islamic and humanitarian speech regarding the rights of Palestinians. This serves as a guide for us and our political speech in the parliamentary and public arenas,” he concluded. Also commenting on the speech, MP Talal Al-Jalal described the Amir’s statement as historic and it reflected the views of all Kuwaitis who support the rights of Palestinians. “The speech is a confirmation of the Kuwaiti position as a strong defender of the Palestinian cause while emphasizing that Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine.”

MP Khalil Al-Saleh affirmed the Amir’s speech put the international community in front of the need to protect international legitimacy amid unilateral decisions. He underscored the importance of putting the Amir’s speech into action by following universal values that unite people. He called for international action of all organizations which should protect the rights of Palestinians rather than turning a deaf ear to these people’s pleas. He said the speech touched on attempts to eradicate the Palestinian identity and change the historical situation in the city of Jerusalem. He added the Amir laid down a road map for humanitarian and relief works to end the suffering of Palestinians.

Call for unity Muslim nations on Friday condemned Israel and the inauguration of the American embassy in contested Jerusalem as a “provocation and hostility against” the Islamic world, while Turkey’s president called for action, including a peacekeeping force. A final communique from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Istanbul “reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause” after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the rotating term president of the OIC, called an extraordinary summit. The call came on the heels of a week that has seen Turkey take a leading role in condemning Israeli actions in Gaza — Monday’s killing of 60 Palestinians and wounding of hundreds of others was the deadliest day of crossborder violence in Gaza since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. As part of its efforts, the Turkish government organized a massive rally and the OIC summit, in a show of solidarity.

Speaking at the closing of the OIC late Friday, Erdogan said the international community “must stop watching the massacres from the bleachers” as Palestinian youth are killed by “Israeli terror,” proposing an international peacekeeping force. In its declaration, the OIC said Israel committed “savage crimes” with the backing of Donald Trump’s administration, emboldened by the United States’ decision to recognize Jerusalem.

By Abubakar A. Ibrahim Arab Times Staff & Agencies

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