Amir congratulates Palestine president on new UN status

‘A historic accomplishment’

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 30, (KUNA): His Highness the Amir of Kuwait sent Friday a cable of congratulations to Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on the occasion of upgrading Palestine status to an observer non-member state at the UN.

Sheikh Sabah hoped the move would pave way for Palestine’s full UN membership.

The Amir expressed hope the Palestinian people achieve their aspirations to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also sent a cable to President Abbas to congratulate him on the upgrade of the Palestine status in the UN.

His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent a similar cable.

Kuwait has congratulated Palestine on the recent success of its bid for observer (non-member) status at the UN General Assembly, describing the milestone as “historic” and “the issuance of a birth certificate for the nation of Palestine.” Palestine saw its bid gain approval in a majority vote of member countries at the General Assembly on Thursday.

Historic

“It is an historic accomplishment and a crossroads in the Palestinian people’s struggle to gain their full political rights, at the forefront of which are the right for self determination and the recognition of an independent Palestinian state according to the borders of 1967,” said Kuwait’s permanent representative to the UN Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi.

In a speech to the UN General Assembly while discussing the issue of Palestine, he described the approval as “a message from the international community that an overwhelming majority of the nations of the world back their (Palestine’s) rights and will work towards achieving justice and ending the tragedy of the gripping occupation for many decades.” The decision, which 138 member nations voted in favour of, outlines creating the appropriate environment for the resumption of negotiations between both sides of the Middle East conflict according to related UN resolutions, the agreements in Madrid, the Arab Peace Initiative and the roadmap called for by the international Quartet, aimed at reaching an end to the Middle East crisis, he added.

It also illustrates the need to solve the fundamental issues, which are the return of displaced Palestinians to the rightful homes, the return of Jerusalem to the Palestinians, and for the restoration of security and water.

He pledged Kuwait’s underlying material, political and moral support of the Palestinian people, their leadership and government, until a Palestinian state is formed with a capital of East Jerusalem.

The latest Israeli assault on Gaza which lasted eight days is a clear indication of the brutality of Israel and its government’s ill intentions towards any attempts carried out for peace, he said.

The inability of the UN to oblige Israel to carry out its international obligations and the lack of a concrete international will to combat Israeli authorities has encouraged it to inflate its aggressive settlement expansion activities and breach international legitimacy, he stressed.