Bahrain stresses firm stance towards Palestinians

Manama, July 22 (BNA): The Kingdom of Bahrain has affirmed its firm and unwavering position towards the Palestinian issue and its support for all efforts aimed at reaching a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to it in a way that would lead to the Palestinian people attaining all their legitimate rights as other peoples, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the principle of a two-state solution and based on the Arab peace initiative and relevant resolutions of international legitimacy. This took place during the Kingdom of Bahrain’s participation in the Security Council’s virtual briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue. The Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations, Ambassador Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, pointed out in his speech that the Israeli plans to annex Palestinian lands in the West Bank and impose Israeli sovereignty over them and over the illegal settlements established on the land of the State of Palestine, occupied since 1967, is a serious threat for international peace and security. It is also an explicit violation of international resolutions, and undermines the chances of achieving just and lasting peace in the Middle East region, he said, stressing that today the international community must build on the decades-old UN efforts to reach a peaceful, comprehensive, fair and lasting solution to this central issue. The Permanent Representative expressed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s condemnation of the Iran-backed Houthi militias’ recent preparation of two booby-trapped boats to carry out hostilities and terrorist operations in Bab al-Mandab strait and the southern Red Sea, which reflects a clear insistence from the Houthis to threaten the safety of maritime traffic and a serious targeting of security and stability in the region. He also stated that due to realising the serious threat posed by Iranian arms’ transfers in the region, it has become imperative for the UN Security Council to extend the arms embargo imposed on Iran to counter Iran's deployment of weapons to its proxies, and hold Iran responsible for its actions. Ambassador Alrowaiei said that the Kingdom of Bahrain supported the appeal of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for an immediate ceasefire in all corners of the globe to reinforce diplomatic action in conflict areas and help create conditions for the delivery of life-saving aid to places that are among the most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that since the shared battle has become the fight against this pandemic, the international community must push forward efforts to stop the practices that aggravate the suffering of civilians around the world, in order to achieve international peace and security and ensure a more prosperous future for all the peoples of the world.