An Urgent Call for Justice and Peace: Marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People Amid Escalating Violence in Gaza – CEIRPP Chair’s article in the UN Chronicle

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28 November 2023

As the world observes the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on 29 November 2023, United Nations Member States engage in a moment of introspection and rededication to the cause of peace. The observance arrives amid a surge in violence in Israel and Gaza unseen in recent history. This has not only claimed thousands of lives but has also resulted in the displacement of over 1.7 million people. Such tragic events underscore the urgency to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict, a subject that has long stood as one of the international community’s most formidable challenges.

The date of 29 November carries historical significance, marking the anniversary of the General Assembly’s adoption of resolution 181 (II) in 1947, which determined the partition of the mandate for Palestine into two States—one Jewish, one Arab—and designated Jerusalem for international governance. The Arab State has not been established to this date. Although seventy-six years have elapsed, marred by recurrent conflict, the aspiration for a Palestinian State and peace in the Middle East endures.

On this solemn day, the international community, led by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People as the General Assembly-mandated body, gathers for an expression of profound solidarity. The special meeting of the Committee offers an opportunity for Member States, regional organizations and civil society to share messages of solidarity with the Palestinian people. Similar events take place in United Nations offices in Geneva, Nairobi and Vienna as well as in other United Nations country offices throughout the world. This year, such demonstrations of solidarity would resonate with an urgent call to cease hostilities, to end the occupation of Palestinian territory, to release all hostages and persons arbitrarily detained, and to re-engage in a dialogue that could establish the foundations of sustainable peace and an independent Palestinian State.

The Committee’s establishment by the United Nations General Assembly in 1975 was a direct response to the growing international concern over the prolonged conflict and the inability to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. Its mandate reiterated the recognition of the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty, and to return to their homes and property, from which they had been displaced.

Since then, the Committee has been at the forefront of ensuring that the plight and the rights of the Palestinian people are well known and communicated clearly to other United Nations Member States and the media. This task is pivotal not only for informing the global public but also for garnering support to safeguard the rights, dignity and security of the Palestinian people through a just and lasting solution to the conflict. The commemoration of the Day of Solidarity is a key event in this regard.

This year, the agenda of the Day of Solidarity also includes the unveiling of the exhibit “Palestine—A Land with A People,” which chronicles the harrowing history of the Nakba. This historical event of 1948 and the years that followed witnessed the displacement and dispossession of more than half of the Palestinian population, a situation that persists through a lasting refugee crises. Today, Gaza is facing threats of a new Nakba, and we must work tirelessly to prevent it.

In the light of the ongoing conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, the Committee’s role in helping to inform public opinion on the question of Palestine has become even more consequential. Amid misinformation and disinformation, including on social media, it is crucial that reporting remains factual, nuanced and sensitive to the complexities of the situation.

On this International Day of Solidarity, the Committee stands united with Member States, unwavering in its vow to advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people. We call on everyone to transcend the anguish and horrors wrought upon civilians by the current conflict in Gaza and reaffirm our collective commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and to international law. Let us pursue with renewed energy the two-State solution called for in countless United Nations resolutions as a means to uphold peace, justice, security and freedom for all peoples in the region.

The Committee’s efforts highlight the need for ongoing support for the Palestinian people. The assistance of informed and empathetic global citizenry is crucial for cultivating the international solidarity required by peacemakers and humanitarian workers to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. It reminds everyone that the quest for peace transcends political agreements and ceasefire lines. It is about recognizing the shared humanity and working tirelessly to ensure that future generations can live in a world where dignity and security are not just aspirations but realities for the Palestinian people and everyone living in the region.

On this International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the Committee calls on all to rekindle the spirit of resolution 181 (II)—not as a reminder of division but as a symbol of hope for a future where two States, Israel and Palestine, can exist side by side in harmony, peace and security.