From Damascus, the Syrian- Palestinian joint commission launched Wednesday the international campaign to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ill-famed Balfour Declaration.
The campaign aims to unveil the Zionist occupation’s crimes and its settlement and Judaization activities. It also aims to criminalize Britain, western countries and Zionist entity of what is happening in the occupied Palestinian lands.
It also seeks enhancing national connection with the Palestinian cause and Arab causes in confronting what the U.S and its international allies, Arabs and Takfiri terrorist organizations are doing, according to the official news agency (SANA).
The agency clarified in a report published today that the joint commission will draw up the program of the activity in Syria and it will hold meetings for this purpose.
It quoted Presidential Media and Political Advisor Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban, who also chairs the Board of Trustees of al-Quds International Foundation, as saying during the ceremony- held to announce the launch of the campaign- that the western colonial powers which founded the ill-famed Belfour Declaration and gave Liwaa Iskenderun to Turkey and used Algerian people in their nuclear tests for more than 100 years cannot be entrusted with human rights and Arab peoples’ freedom.
“Practices of ISIS and al-Nusra Front terrorists are similar to that of Zionist gangs in the occupied Palestine,” she added, affirming that resistance is the option to defend homeland.
She called for elaborating reasons that led to the deterioration of Arab situation and reconsidering all mechanisms to avoid and correct mistakes.
Counter- terrorism
“Arab nationalist parties are the real parties that must lead the nation. And Arabism is the solution to Arabs’ suffering because all of them are being targeted,” Dr. Shaaban added.
She saluted prisoners and martyrs in occupied Palestine and all Syrian Arab army’s martyrs, affirming that interest in al-Quds is not less than interest in Damascus.
Dr. Shaaban told reporters that Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen are facing the same terrorism and Arabs must stand united against it for the future of the Arab nation.
“Palestine will remain in the heart of Damascus as Damascus remains in the heart of Palestine,” she stressed.
On his part, Chairman of the Syrian-Palestinian commission Dr. Nedal al-Saleh said that Syria pays the price for choosing culture of resistance, dignity and determination.
“Syria stands by the Palestinian right and against Belfour Declaration,” he added.
Conspiracy
On his part, al-Quds Bishop Atallah Hanna asserted in a recorded speech that those who conspire against Syria seek to eliminate the Palestinian cause and the right of return.
“When Palestinians defend Syria, they defend themselves,” he added, stressing that Syria’s steadfastness in the face of the global conspiracy is Palestine’s steadfastness.
He affirmed that Britain and western countries have not changed their policies towards the Israeli occupation and they are still supporting it by all means.
“What is going on in the Arab world is a great calamity to fragment Arab societies for the interest of Israel,” the bishop said.
Historic stances
Member of the Baath Arab Socialist Party’s Regional Leadership Mohammad Shaaban Azzouz said that the spread of chaos in the Arab region aims to empower Zionist entity to control the region.
“The Palestinian people’s steadfastness and sacrifices of the Syrian people and army foiled the large part of the plot,” he added.
Assistant Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine- General Command underlined the need to go ahead with resistance and struggle in order to liberate Palestine and to support the Palestinian youths’ Intifada.
He clarified that Syria pays the price for its historical stances towards Palestine and for its adherence to Arab nation’s causes.
The campaign will last till November, 2nd, 2017 and it will also be launched in Palestine and in most Arab and world countries with the participation of intellectuals, politicians and lawyers in order to hold activities in 2017 at all levels.
Committees composed of Arab and Palestinian communities’ members, politicians, lawyers and journalists, especially in Britain and European countries, have been formed to present this issue and to sue the British government.
The Balfour Declaration was a letter dated 2 November 1917 from the then United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour to Lord Rothschild, Head of Zionist Movement, that promised support for the idea of a Jewish homeland in historical Palestine.
http://syriatimes.sy/index.php/news/local/27317-balfour-declaration-has-no-legal-or-ethical-basis
Basma Qaddour