An immoral scheme was perpetrated by Great Britain at the beginning of the 20th Century through the engineering of the League of Nations’ Mandate. Entrusted over Palestine, the system was used to serve and implement the illegal 1917 Balfour Declaration in which the British “His Majesty’s Government” pledged to the Zionist Federation to use their “best endeavours to facilitate” “ establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”.
While the original plan of the Zionist Movement for creating a homeland for Jews considered other Territories such as East Africa, the Congo, Cyprus, and Argentina in Latin America, the curse fell upon Palestine when it was selected as a convenient destination through signifying historical connections that existed over 2,000 years ago when “ancestors” once lived there.
Despite all forms of encouragement and financing made available by the Zionist Movement and the British administration to encourage European Jews to move to Palestine over a span of more than 25 years, the Jewish component of the population of Palestine only rose from eight per cent in the beginning of the 20th Century to 32 per cent in 1948.
While Muslim and Christian Arab Palestinians still constituted the majority of the population at 68 per cent, the victorious powers of the second world war in an attempt to morally compensate for the horrific atrocities committed against their European Jewish citizens, sympathised with the Zionist Movement’s aspirations.
To solve the “Palestine Problem”, the United Nations decided to divide the land into 64 per cent for the newly arriving European Jewish immigrants and 46 per cent for the indigenous Arab Palestinians, Muslims and Christians.
Arab Palestinians have since been united in opposing this land theft of their homeland and the spirit of coexistence that had for many centuries prevailed in the Holy Land.
Coming under increasing resentment and resistance from the indigenous Muslims and Christian Arabs, and facing terrorist acts perpetrated by outlawed Zionist terrorist organisations, Great Britain ultimately deferred to the UN what had become the“Palestine problem” and withdrew their forces from Palestine, ushering a fully fledged confrontation in Palestine.
Weaponised with the latest warfare technology humanity had achieved in the 1940s, these Zionist militias unleashed the wrath of British and European aeroplanes, heavy artillery, machine guns and grenades to overpower the Palestinians and the humble surrounding Arab armies that came to the rescue.
Zionist militias devastated Palestinian villages and towns leading, according to UN records, to the displacement of 800,000 out of 1.4 million Palestinians, the destruction of almost 400 villages, and confiscation of their homes and properties. This is marked in the Palestinian Memory as the Nakba or the Catastrophe.
Seventy-four years have passed and the pursuit of justice and right of return for the now more than 6 million refugees scattered around the neighbouring countries and the diaspora, is still ongoing. For more than seven decades, the Palestinians have witnessed the failure of the international community in ending the longest contemporary foreign occupation and systematic violations of international law and international humanitarian law.
Providing immunity for Israel, the occupying power, from complying with hundreds of United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions has only prolonged the suffering and allowed for more avoidable loss of lives and property, and undermined international law and the principle of accountability.
By accepting 22 per cent of what was an ancestral homeland and still holding title deeds of land and properties in entire villages and towns and cities that constitute today's Israel, the Palestinian leadership made an investment for the future generations by pursuing peace and closing a painful chapter in our history in hope of building a future of coexistence, peace and security.
Regretfully, the greed of the occupying power continues to extend beyond the margins of international law, UNSC resolutions and against the will of the overwhelming majority of the members of the United Nations.
While commemorating the 74th anniversary of the Palestinian Catastrophe “Nakba”, Palestinians shall continue to borrow leaf after leaf from the African examples of struggling for independence and self-determination.
Kenya’s founding fathers' struggle and diplomatic discourse to end the colonial era shall continue to inspire us as we exercise the same right under the United Nations Charter for self-determination and independence.
Foreign occupation, suppression, apartheid, and discrimination on basis of race or religion have no place in today’s world.
Ambassador of the State of Palestine
