PALESTINE ENVOY: NO CAUSE TO CELEBRATE

Execute Resolution 194, pressure Israeli govt to stop atrocities, UN urged

A100 YEARS of joy at the expense of others — more than 12 million displaced Palestinians to be exact — is not something to be celebrated.

Despite the criticism and calls for the British government to apologise for the Balfour Declaration, they will instead celebrate the “special” occasion with their Israeli counterparts.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain should be proud of the role it had played in the creation of Israel and should mark the centenary with pride.

“The British government is trying to provoke us by celebrating this declaration,” Palestinian ambassador to Malaysia Datuk Dr Anwar Al Agha told the New Straits Times yesterday.

The declaration is a letter, penned by then British foreign secretary Arthur Balfour on Nov 2, 1917, to the Zionist Congress, pledging their support for the establishment of a “Jewish Homeland” in Palestine.

He said the British government had no right to make such promises as it was not theirs to give in the first place.

The declaration acted as an endorsement from the United Kingdom to Israel, he said, despite the fact that it was not based on any legal foundation.

Anwar said the Palestinian government demanded an apology from the British government as well as acknowledging its historic, legal and moral responsibilities for the damage sustained as a result of the policies.

He said Britain was also urged to recognise the state of Palestine and pressure the United Nations (UN) to follow through with the two-state solution.

“Palestinians are asking the British government to accept its historical responsibility and take steps to right the wrong and fulfil the long overdue rights of our people.

“If they believe in justice, apologise and make things right.

“We also want the UN to implement Resolution 194 and pressure the Israeli government to stop the occupation and atrocities against us,” he said.

Anwar said Resolution 194 was adopted in 1947 by the UN, but in 1948, only one part of the resolution was established, which was the implementation of Israel as a state.

Unfortunately, he said, the second half of the resolution had not seen the light of day.

He said 70 years had passed and the superpowers were still experiencing problems in establishing Palestine as a state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The superpowers said they believed in justice, but at the same time, they were contradicting themselves by being one-sided and biased, he added.

Palestinians, Anwar said, had recently launched the Make It Right campaign to educate the British public and international community about the consequences of this declaration and lobby to create changes.

Palestinians are asking the British government to accept its historical responsibility and take steps towards righting the wrong DATUK DR ANWAR AL AGHA Palestinian ambassador to Malaysia