Palestinian Envoy: Arab Countriesˈ Compromise With West Led To Occupation

Beirut, May 18, IRNA – Ambassador of Palestine to Lebanon Ashraf Dabbour said here Friday during a ceremony on occasion of ˈYaum un-Nikbaˈ Catastrophe Day the catastrophe of Palestinians is result of regional Arab countriesˈ compromise with West over seizing Arabian lands. Referring to the broad presence of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Dabbour said, ˈProvision of security in Lebanon is indebted to providing security for the Palestinians.ˈ He added, ˈˈToday the Palestinian nation is fighting to get rid of the plots hatched by jointly the Arabs and the West for the region aimed at exertion of full hegemony over the Palestiniansˈ (minute remaining) lands.ˈ Dabbour added, ˈThroughout the history of the Arabic-Zionist campaign the entire Arabic-Western treaties have been in favor of the Zionist regime.ˈˈ He emphasized that so far these struggles have provided no help in materializing the seized Arabic rights in the region. Ahsraf Dabbour reiterated, ˈWhen the Palestinian and Arab nations lost their power in the region due to lack of support of the foreign countries, the Zionist regime gained its current status in the Middle East.ˈ He emphasized that continuing resistance is the only way left for the Palestinians, saying, ˈKeeping in mind the oppression and despotic approach of the racist Zionist regime and the fact that the international organizations just keep on ignoring our most natural rights, the Palestinian nation has no way but to hold tight their weapons and defend their motherland, because gaining our rights is possible only thru the way of resistance, while maintaining national unity among the Palestinians themselves.ˈ He referred to the new developments inside Palestine, adding, ˈThe Palestinian nation has entered a new phase of its campaign against the Zionist regime aimed at justice seeking and gaining true independence.ˈ The ambassador of Palestine in Lebanon also asked for immediate national reconciliation among the entire Palestinian groups, reiterating, ˈThe Zionist regime takes advantage of disputes among us in its own favor and therefore, such disputes must be ended to secure the interests of the Palestinians and their bright future immediately.ˈ Every year, Palestinians in Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories and the diasporas mark the Nakba (which means ˈcatastropheˈ in Arabic), referring to the 1948 establishment of the state of Israel that led to the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their land and homes. This year, protests and commemorations for the 65th Nakba anniversary brought out thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank as well as a significant number of Israelis and international solidarity activists. Hundreds gathered on May 15th in Ramallah to hear politicians deliver speeches, though representatives of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, having long since abandoned its democratic mandate in favor of American funds, lack little legitimacy in the eyes of a growing number of Palestinians./end