The British member of Parliament Lord Nazir Ahmed has criticised the West over its failure on Palestine issue and its inability to pressurise Israel on lifting the siege of Gaza.In his speech at the "Right of Return for the Palestinians Conference" in Damascus organised by the Syrian Government on Sunday whose copy was distributed to the media here, the British Peer spoke of West's helplessness in addressing the plight of five million Palestinians in face of Israeli intransigence.
"The most important thing right now for the 5 million Palestinians, who have been systematically ignored by the international community and treated inhumanely since 1948, is that we must not stop our campaigns, we must not stop our fight, we must not ignore our brothers and sisters until justice is done and the Palestinians have the right of return."
He reminded the audience of the happening in Guantanamo Bay, Bagram Airbase in Kabul and the Abu Ghuraib in Baghdad.
"We know that the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the wall around the villages around the West Bank a direct result of the American support for the Zionist state," he said.
Stating that he has great respect and admiration for the people of the USA, Lord Ahmed said these are the same people who brought about historic change by electing the first African‑American into the White House.
"But I have no respect for the neo‑cons and Zionist lobbies who have been running the USA for the last eight years."
He thanked the "European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza" for the courage in taking three boats to Gaza by sea earlier this month under his leadership.
Lord Ahmed said had the Egyptian Government allowed them to enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing they would have had 53 Parliamentarians and even more medical aid for those who so desperately need it.
The British Peer further said their main objective in Gaza was to deliver medical supplies to try and alleviate some of the pressures faced by the medical workers in Gaza, as well as showing solidarity to the Palestinian people.
"However, what we delivered was only a handful of what the people of Gaza urgently need as a result of the humanitarian crisis that has been allowed to escalate there," he told the conference.
He pointed out that it is apparent to everyone, apart from the British and US Governments that Israel continues to break International Law, UN Resolutions, the Geneva Conventions and the Charter of Human Rights.
Lord Ahmed called for placing sanctions on Israel and questioned the wisdom of European Union in allowing the Jewish State to obtain special political and economic status.
The Pakistani‑born peer spoke of his insight into the plight and suffering that has bewildered the 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza noting that on a daily basis, people are dying due to the sheer lack of medical supplies, new‑born babies are lying in incubators, with their parents at their side praying that the electricity does not cut off.
He accused Israel of reneging on its promise to allow humanitarian convoys to enter into Gaza. "Only recently, UNRWA has confirmed that it has food supplies ready to be taken into Gaza, but they are barred by the 67 borders and the walls that have been illegally erected by the Israeli Government."
The British Parliamentarian recalled his 2004 meeting with late President Yasser Arafat who had been blockaded by Israel as they branded him terrorist.
"Now the democratically elected Hamas have been labelled terrorists and the Israelis refuse to accept them as the democratically elected leaders. I want to remind you that hundreds and thousands of people have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan in the name of imposing democracy in these states. Yet here we have one and the West refuses to accept it."
Lord Ahmed said the Jewish State will stand in the way of anyone who tries to assist the Palestinians, and those who have genuine concern for the welfare of the Palestinian people.
He called for the continuation of the campaign to free Gaza from Israeli siege and the right of return for the Palestinian people.
0 Have Your Say!:
Post a Comment