Daily Times

The British Mandate incorporated the “Balfour Declaration” of 1917, expressing support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”. The measures that led to the formation of the Zionist regime were contrary to international law. According to Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations, Britain should have allowed the exercise of the right to self-determination, namely holding a free referendum in Palestine.

Also, Immigrations of Jews in order to change the demographic condition of Palestine coincided with violence against people of Palestine and lead to conflicts in the area. The occupier was endowed with highest military technology and arsenals while people of Palestine just had some stones in their hands to throw.

Lack of comprehensive solutions:

From that time, some proposals were offered to the UN to whitewash heinous crimes perpetrated by expansionist Zionists; also different resolutions were issued to orally condemn the Zionist regime atrocities in international and regional organizations that none of them lead to a breakthrough for the sake of oppressed people of Palestine.

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that the philosophy of its establishment in 25 September 1969 (following the criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque) was to support Palestine, has so far miserably failed to liberate the Palestinians from the yoke of imperial Zionist regime due to its members divisions. The defeat of the plans and resolutions, paved the ground for the Zionist regime to occupy and annex Gaza Strip and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) that resulted in great exodus of Palestinians to other countries. Unsuccessful attempts of the UN in defending the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for self-determination, national independence, sovereignty, and returning their homeland, forced the Palestinians to resort to first and Second Intifada.

Till now, Islamic countries rendered some efforts to push international organizations towards full realization of Palestinian rights but due to US obliterations most of the UN resolutions came fanatically in favor of Zionists. Putting aside the unjust and one-sided approaches in most of UN initiatives, even the minimum rights of Palestinians faced considerable impediment to reach tangible results.

As the UN went weaker in helping the Palestinians and Arab countries more blind on brutalities, Zionist regime utilized further savage in violating the rights of Palestinians. The atrocities even went severe by seeing the full support of US behind its bully approaches.

What more deteriorated the situation for Palestinians was the passive gesture of some Arab states towards new agendas leading sweeping the question of Palestine under the rug of betrayal. One of the recent efforts was the doom Trump so-called peace plan entitled “Deal of the Century” that not only doesn’t have any landscape for prosperity and stability for Palestinians but makes Zionist regime more vigorous to claim new territories for annexation. No different looking at the Deal as a “smokescreen” for annexation or “slap of the century”; this plan won’t bring any amelioration for the already struggle stricken situation.

A glance at Islamic Republic of Iran reaction to the Question of Palestine

On August 7, 1979, the founder of Islamic Revolution in Iran, Imam Khomeini, declared the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as Quds Day, in which Muslims worldwide would unite in solidarity against Zionist regime and in support of the Palestinians and declared the “liberation” of Jerusalem a religious duty to all Muslims.

Besides this symbolic collective movement, Iran spared no efforts to comprehensively support Palestinian resistance against suppression. The main support of Iran was a spiritual one and comprises a wide range of issues from helping the Palestinian voices to be heard in multilateral forums to enforce the rights-seeking spirit of these people.

Considering the inefficiency and oppressive nature of previously suggested plans, Iran presents a precise and well measured plan entitled “National Referendum in Palestine” to the UN. In this plan, Iran clearly proposes a platform that provides the grounds for the true and original people of Palestine to exercise their right to self-determination.

According to this initiative, that is in full compliance with United Nations Charter and rules of international law, all the authentic people of Palestine including the followers of all religions (including Muslims, Christians and Jews) who inhabited in Palestine before the issuance of the Balfour Declaration will hold a national referendum and establish a political system by majority that will decide on the status of the non-indigenous residents of Palestine. The main requirement of this initiative, is the return of indigenous Palestinians refugee to their homeland; something that is both the request of people of Palestine and UN resolutions.

Iran incurred many costs and loses in supporting Palestine. During past decades Iran has suffered a lot from US unilateral sanctions, it’s illegal act of defamation and designation of Iranian defensive unit (Al-Quds Force) and terror of Iranian high ranking military officials like “Shahid Al Quds” Brigadier General Qassem Suleimani who within the context of international rules was supporting the oppressed peoples in the region and standing against terrorism, oppression and occupation. In spite of these sacrifices and hardness, the vigilant nation of Iran beside other observant consciences around the world are still firmly standing for the goal of independent, sovereign and free Palestine.

Conclusion: It is a source of grave concern that after seven decades, the question of Palestine is still unresolved. Considering the inattention and inefficiency of the UN in helping the Palestinians to gain their rights, Islamic Ummah should consolidate and take firm stance against expansionist Zionist regime that has nothing except massacre, terror, destruction, violation to Islamic sanctities.

In support of Palestine and Al- Quds and resonating with Imam Khomeini, we also today, like the previous years, consecrate the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as Al-Quds Day and proclaim the global solidarity of Muslims in support of the Muslim people of Palestine.

The writer is Ambassador of Islamic Republic of Iran in Pakistan