Palestinian Ambassador Zuhair M.H. Dar Zaid says:Palestinians are united despite religious differences Muslims, Christians and Orthodox Jews suppressed by Israeli Govt
By Shaahidah Riza-2017-12-24Most people think that all Palestinians are Muslims. But a significant number of Palestinian Christians will spend this Christmas in apartheid conditions due to severe Israeli aggression, Palestinian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Zuhair M.H. Dar Zaid said. In an interview with Ceylon Today he noted that the Israelis have commenced encroaching into Jerusalem and are destroying Christian sites. He added that rights of Muslims, Christians and Orthodox Jews are suppressed by the Israeli Government thereby denying them the right to worship at their holy sites.
Excerpts of the Interview:
In Sri Lanka, the Palestine has received the support of a number of senior politicians, who are sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. Is it the same with other countries? Do senior politicians support the Palestinian cause?
A. Across the world many countries support Palestine. On Tuesday we had a vote at the UN General Assembly where 176 countries voted in support of the right of the Palestinians to self-determination. The support that we have from the international community is very clear. We appreciate the support from the non-governmental solidarity societies and the Sri Lankan community.
Sri Lanka has been a friend to the Palestinian people for a long time. Is there anything more that the Sri Lankan Government can do to make a lasting impact on the Palestinian cause?
A. Sri Lanka is doing very well in this aspect. The Government, the people of Sri Lanka and all the communities are very supportive.
We are extremely satisfied with this show of unity from the Sri Lankan people. The rally that took place in Colombo on Friday was organized by the Sri Lankan people and the Sri Lanka-Palestine Friendship Societies. We find support for Palestinians in all corners of Sri Lanka and from all parties too.
What we expect from Sri Lanka, as Palestinians, regarding this issue, is that since they have already recognized Palestine as a State, they can convince and influence others in the region. Sri Lanka can also place Israel in a position to accept the peace process and the two State solution.
Although the creation of Israel in itself is controversial, more than 50 years has lapsed since it was created. What is the best option for the Palestinians at this point?
A. The Palestinians stick to the peace process as they want peace. And it is very clear that the international community recognizes that our leaders and our people adhere to the peace process. We want peace; we want to stop this suffering. Not just for us, but also for the other side. The narrative of the Palestinian issue is also very clear. The Zionists came to Palestine as guests and continued to grab parts of our land. After that, in 1948 they expanded and controlled the rest of the land includingthose of the Arabs.
Throughout our struggle, the international community has asked us to go enter into negotiations and to accept a two-State solution.
We respect the international community and have accepted all the international resolutions; United Nations resolutions, the Security Council resolutions, we also accept the peace process as way of achieving our rights. We have done everything the international community has asked us to do.
However, although we accept and adhere to the peace process, the Israelis have continued to violate these. They grab more land, build illegal settlements and their aggression and policies, in general, go to levels of apartheid and genocide. It should be clear to the international community which pushed us and convinced us to stick to the peace process, but not do anything with regard to Israelis' violations of the peace process.
We are asking the international community to use its influence on Israel, however, they will not listen to mere words. We have negotiated for 30 years but we cannot continue to negotiate while losing our land and living under apartheid and genocide conditions. There is no limit to their aggression. We accept the two-State solution, but with this current reality we are suffering.
If you go through the Israeli Government website, after every Israeli Cabinet meeting there is approval for new settlements. There is declaration for how many apartments should be built there. Recently they have moved into Jerusalem as well. They keep digging into the holy site looking for what they call their temple. Which means, the demolition of the existing holy places of the Muslims and Christians.
Although most countries have diplomatic ties with Palestinians and support the Palestinian cause, they also have military ties with Israel. Such was the case with Sri Lanka. How do you view this?
A. We have a very strong relationship with Sri Lanka. Their commitment also is strong with regard to the rights of the Palestinian people. I don't think the Sri Lankans would ever ignore our plight because they have done so much. Sri Lanka has contributed the land for our Embassy. We are stationed in a good Government building where they have also done some good renovations. The former President of Sri Lanka donated US$ 1 million for the Gaza strip. I don't think the attitude of Sri Lanka towards the Palestinian people will change.
In the interest of Sri Lanka, I hope that it is never put in a position where it would need military support from anyone. I hope Sri Lanka has a very good relationship with its neighbours and would sort out all its internal problems and work towards reconciliation.
Sri Lanka went through 3 decades of war. How do you view Sri Lanka's position in handling the post-war situation? In any manner or form, can parallels be drawn with the Sri Lankan and Palestinian experience?
A. There cannot be comparisons between the three-decade war and the Palestinian struggle. However, before Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948, they were colonized by the British. So were we. Thus parallels can be drawn on that.
However, with regard to the internal matters that Sri Lanka suffered for 30 years, we have to accept that it happened and should focus on how to cure the wounds. Sri Lanka should explore how to have a real sense of reconciliation and how to keep the country united. It is important to keep the people of Sri Lanka united. It is time to focus on how to accept each other and make sure that the rights of everyone is protected in Sri Lanka. It doesn't matter from which community they come. For a country that went through 30 years of war, you can't just pinpoint and say one community suffered more than the other.
Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan people suffered, it doesn't matter from which community, they all suffered because of this war. We wish to look forward to the future, to have a full reconciliation and each person to be accepted by all parties in Sri Lanka. We wish that Sri Lankans, themselves, will actively participate and help solve their problems without interference from outsiders. Because there is a will, the Government and the political parties can make this happen. I met the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka who briefed me on Sri Lanka's development. There is real progress in these matters and it is clear that Sri Lanka is going along the right track.
We wish them all success.
Trade is also an important part of international relations. What kind of trade relationship does Sri Lanka have with Palestine?
A. All the borders of Palestine are controlled by the Israelis. All of our trade goes through three States. Some go to the Gaza strip and then to Egypt or Jordan or to the West Bank and through Israel. So it is not easy to give a proper estimate for thetrade that we have with Sri Lanka.
But if you go to Palestine, the tea that we have in the market is Sri Lankan, which is about 95%. This is also the same with regard to our Diaspora. They also consume Sri Lankan tea. More than half of the Palestinian people live outside Palestine. There are many Palestinians who come on holiday and honeymoon to Sri Lanka as well. What we are looking for is to develop this.
We are also working with Sri Lanka to share our experience and expertise. For example we have a lot of European trained surgeons and engineers and we are trying to share what they know with their Sri Lankan colleagues.
We are working on getting Palestinian heart surgeons to Sri Lanka to observe important eye and heart surgeries. We have very good specialists who have won European Awards. The other aspect is to observe and work in agriculture projects. Our engineers already visited and observed how Sri Lanka gets about its agriculture. We are trying to help them have three separate projects. We will supply our knowledge, technology and experience on irrigation and green houses.
It is currently the Christmas season. What is the status of the Palestinian Christians?
A. Palestine has several towns and villages where Christians and Muslims live together. They share their homes and their families. The Christians help the Muslims build their mosques and the Muslims help the Christians build their churches. Also, both Christian and Muslim students study together in schools, they learn the same thing. Muslim students study in Christian schools and Christian students study in Muslim schools.
There is no difference with them. If anyone wants to observe tolerance, love and harmony between communities they should come and see how the Palestinians live together. When the Israelis attacked Gaza in 2014, one of the Bishops took an entire community of Muslims into the church to give them shelter and protection. The Bishop told them to do their azan, to say their prayers in the church and told them to use the church as if it is their mosque.
When the Israelis tried to impose a law to prevent Muslims from making the call to prayer (Azan), the bishops from the church made the Azan. The Muslims and the Christians were together committed to oppose Israel when it tried to impose more security and set up cameras at the holy sites. There is historical basis to their relationship. When the Khaliph Umar ibn Khattab visited Jerusalem, and the then Bishop asked him to pray in the inside the holy site, he refused.
When he was asked as to why he did that, he responded that if he prayed there, just one community will claim that it is theirs because he prayed there. So he prayed outside the holy site, where the Umar ibn Khattab mosque was built. The harmony between the Palestinians goes far back in history. The keys to the Christian holy sites are with the Muslims who have taken care of them for centuries. The Palestinians condemn violence against any Christian or Muslim, not only because it's a humanitarian issue, but also because the Palestinians suffered a lot.
Palestinians are not just Muslims, they are also Christians and orthodox Jews who suffer apartheid conditions due to Israeli aggression. The orthodox Jews suffer just like us. The Israelis forces treat them in a violent manner. They protested against Donald Trump and the Israeli Government, but they had to pay a very heavy price with their lives. When the Israelis burn churches, mosques and synagogues it will lead to a religious war. That is a very dangerous tactic by the Israelis.
