Day of solidarity with Palestinian people today

Day of solidarity with Palestinian people today

Updated at: 0710 PST, Sunday, November 29, 2009 GAZA: The International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian people will be observed today, Sunday to express unity with the suppressed people of Palestine. The history of Palestine is one of immense richness: It was host to numerous prophets over the centuries and home of many great civilizations. Its location in the center of various routes linking three continents made it a melting pot for many religious and cultural influences from Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Asia Minor. Palestine refers to a region of the eastern Mediterranean coast from the sea to the Jordan valley and from the northern Negev desert to the Galilee lake region in the north. The word Palestine derives from the English word Philistines, a term given to the Philistine invasion of the coast from the sea. The Philistines were closely related to the Greeks originating from Asia Minor and Greek localities. To provide an opportunity for the international community to focus on the fact that the question of Palestine is still unresolved and that the Palestinian People have yet to attain their inalienable rights as defined by the General Assembly Resolution, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is observed on November 29. On this day in 1947, the General Assembly adopted the Partition Resolution which provided for the establishment in Palestine of two states, one Jewish, the other Arab. Only one so far came into being, Israel. In recent history, the area called Palestine includes the present-day Israel and Jordan. The Balfour Declaration issued by Great Britain in 1927 established in the Palestine region a national home for the Jewish people and allocated 80 percent of Palestine to Transjordan, making Jordan the Arab portion of Palestine. The area occupied by the Palestinians is known as Palestine, one of the smallest countries in the Middle East, and most of its territory remains under Israeli occupation and control. Effectively, the Palestinians of today control less than one thousand square kilometers. They occupy the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which is a mixture of fertile ground and desert. While Palestine has a new democracy, it is also a victim of the decisions of certain organizations and foreign governments. This has mostly been the cause of many of the conflicts between the Palestinians and the Israelis that has been evading solution since Israel’s establishment. Both sides accuse the other of aggression and retaliations that have been going on unabated. Under these conditions, it is difficult, if not impossible to start any form of negotiations. Many peace initiatives have been planned – the original Road Map Peace Plan which has a slim chance of revival; and the Annapolis Convention which marked the first time that a two-state solution was articulated as the outline for addressing the conflict. The Palestinians now number more than eight million and live in Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in East Jerusalem part of which is administered by the Palestinian Authority, in Israel, in neighboring Arab states, and in refugee camps in the region. Like all displaced people, the Palestinians have the right to self-determination without external influence, the right to national independence and sovereignty, and the right to their homes and property from which they have deen displaced. They have a right to build a state that can take its place among the world of nations alongside Israel, living in peace for the benefit of both sides. A way has to be found, to end the Israeli-Palestine conflict. Such a solution would mean concentrating on maintaining peace for progress, understanding one another’s tragic history, and using the past as a pillar to build a future together.