Kelvin Bowoto
Abdallah Shawesh, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Nigeria, stated that despite Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority remained committed to a two-state solution to the continuing Israeli-Palestinian issue.
The envoy stated this during a visit to the corporate headquarters of LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group in Abuja on Tuesday, emphasizing that, despite Israel, the United States, and the European Union (EU) designating Hamas as a terrorist organization, the Palestinian militant group is a resistance organization against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, not a terrorist group.
He stated, “Nelson Mandela was designated as a terrorist while fighting for South Africa’s liberation, but when you look back in history, Israel has designated us as a terrorist people, and President Mahmoud Abbas, who is a preacher of the peace process, is considered a terrorist diplomat.”
“If you criticize the Israeli occupation, you will be labeled a terrorist or anti-Semite. Even the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which participated in the peace process by signing the Oslo Accords under the late PLO leader Yasser Arafat, was labeled as a terrorist organization.
“Hamas is not a terrorist organization; it is a resistance movement opposing the occupation of Palestinian areas. Only Israel, the United States, and the European Union have so labeled the organization. The African Union and the Nigerian government do not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization because, if we follow the Israeli narrative, we must also acknowledge Nelson Mandela’s status as a terrorist for battling colonialism.” We need a clear definition of terrorism.”
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He noted that the proclaimed goal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the present conflict in Gaza was to eradicate Hamas, but that this intention may not be realized because Hamas is an ideology that cannot be eliminated in one fell swoop.
Although the most recent war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking over 200 others hostage, Ambassador Shewash stated that his country had been under siege by Israeli occupation and violence until October 6, 2023, with 152 Palestinians, including babies, killed.
Speaking further about the resolution of the issue, he stated: “The two-state solution is not a new invention. When the United Nations authorized the so-called partition of Palestine on November 2, 1947 (Resolution 181), it recognized both Israel and Palestine as separate states. Unfortunately, the logic of power has prevailed rather than the power of logic.
“The 181 Partition Plan allocated Israel only 54% of Palestine’s ancient land. Unfortunately, because of power dynamics, the Jewish gang, which was heavily armed with the full assistance of the UK, was able to remove around 78% of Palestinians and transform us into refugees. They completely destroyed 531 villages and towns, expelled the Palestinians, and captured 78% of Palestine’s historical land instead of 54%.
He went on to say that after Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza in 1967, Arafat, the PLO’s then-leader, initiated the peace process, during which Palestinians agreed to create their state on only 22% of their historical land. He went on to say that following the Oslo Accords, the “two-state solution is the minimum that we can accept, and we want it implemented, but the current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is talking about not accepting the two-state solution even when the American president has made a move for it.”
Techrectory with Agency Report.
