Islamabad, 18 October 2023 (TDI): Nader Alturk, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Palestine, addressed the pressing issue of Palestine’s longstanding conflict with Israel, shedding light on the challenges faced by the Palestinian people and calling for international support to seek peace and justice.
Alturk emphasized the apparent double standards of the West and decried the policies that have plagued a dispossessed nation in its quest for a homeland for several decades.
He expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from Pakistan and urged the global community, including the power of social media, to rally behind a nation teetering on the brink of obliteration.
“We are looking for peace, justice, and a solution to our territorial dispute with Israel, which it has occupied forcefully,” Alturk stated.
He condemned the apartheid-like conditions that continue to impose hardships on Palestinians, pushing them into a perilous situation.
The Deputy Head of Mission lamented the historical actions of the British colonial power, which allocated 58 percent of Palestinian lands to the Jewish population, and regretted that even the remaining 43 percent has been encroached upon over time.
He presented a map of Palestine that vividly illustrated the stages of occupation that have unfolded since 1948.
Alturk voiced his criticism of former US President Donald Trump’s diplomacy, which he considered biased, as it endorsed Israel’s legitimacy through the Abraham Accord, while no lasting solution was found for the ongoing Palestinian-state dispute.
He questioned the right of self-defense for Palestinians and pondered whether they were condemned to be victims of violence, as the world often remains silent.
He decried the position taken by the United States at the United Nations Security Council and argued that, like Ukraine, Palestine also possesses the right to sovereignty and self-defense.
Alturk questioned the world’s silence in the face of the suffering endured by the people of Gaza, where half the territory has been subjected to bombings, pushing its inhabitants towards Egypt.
Highlighting the alarming toll of the conflict, Alturk revealed that more than 3,500 Palestinians have lost their lives since the conflict erupted on October 7. He expressed concerns that Gazans are on the verge of a second mass migration.
The Palestinian Envoy urged an end to the occupation, the pursuit of a two-state solution, the cessation of illegal settlements, and a resolute commitment to international law and human rights.
He argued that this approach is the key to addressing the existential crisis in Palestine through peaceful means.
He also warned that the situation could escalate, as forces of inertia continue to dominate the discourse, and emphasized that armed resistance from other nations is in favor of the Palestinian cause.
President of the Institute of Policy Research and International Studies (IPRI), Ambassador Dr. Raza Muhammad, also shared his insights during the event.
The address by Nader Alturk underscored the urgent need for international engagement to bring about a peaceful resolution to the protracted Palestinian-Israeli territorial dispute.
Also read: Russia urges immediate ceasefire & truce in Palestine-Israel Conflict
