Ramallah: by invitation of the Lebanese Parliament, and the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy. The Human Rights and Democracy Media Center “SHAMS” Center joined the Conference for Parliamentary Dialogue with subject: “Diversity in Unity and Fundamental Freedoms for Christians and Muslims in the Middle East”. It was held at the premises of the Lebanese Parliament in Beirut, the Lebanese Capital.
The conference combined representatives of international & regional organizations, religious leaders or their representatives. Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Cyprus, Sudan, Russia, Greece, Jordan, Albania, Georgia, Serbia, Armenia, Egypt, Uganda, African Parliament, Arab Parliament, Interparliamentary Union, World Council of Churches, Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and Movement for Politics & Policy for Unity participated to the conference, Center for Mediterranean & International Studies, Athens University, University of Crete, FAO and Parliamentarians from 16 I.A.O. member-states, participated to the conference.
In their speeches, heads & representatives of the participating delegates put emphasis on the support provided by their parliaments, countries and government to the basic rights of the Palestinian people, headed by the right to self-determination, the right to establish an independent state, and the importance of official recognition of the State of Palestine by their countries. Moreover, a large part of speakers condemned the Israeli crimes committed against the Palestinian people, and called the Israeli government for respecting International Humanitarian Law.
Also, they assured their denial to the American decision of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israeli and relocating the U.S Embassy to the occupied Jerusalem. They requested the U.S to backtrack, and to respect the resolutions of the International Legitimacy issued by the UN and its related institutions. They stated that the reckless policy of the United States may lead the region to a religious-based conflict among the followers of the Divine religions.
In Palestine’s speech, the center calls the parliamentarians for significantly reviewing the legislations issued by the Israeli parliament “Knesset” since Israelis issue dozens of laws and legislations which are inconsistent with international treaties & conventions in relation to human rights.
Apparently, the laws & regulations of the International Law are obligatory and it is not permitted to violate against it. While the Israeli parliament “Knesset” is considered as an associate in the crime, while the disrespect for the International Humanitarian Law by the Israeli parliament and its executive occupying power in particular, the Geneva Third & Fourth Conventions and Human Rights law don’t exonerate it by any way from its obligation to safeguarding civilian residents in the occupied territories.
As we appeal to all the delegates to stop the Israeli measures and infringements upon the Palestinian people. Also, we request the friendly governments to officially recognize the State of Palestine.
The Centre addressed the delegates and participants, saying that Christians in Palestine celebrated the Easter, under siege imposed by the occupying forces on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. as there are tens of fixed military checkpoints that break the homeland, there are dozens of mobile checkpoints, others fixed in the military towers, and the cement cubes which close the roads and prevent and the free movement of Palestinians.
An Israeli measure of discrimination is represented in preventing Palestinians from using certain streets and roads, which are the exclusive preserve of settlers. The occupied Jerusalem is surrounded by towering walls and fixed checkpoints, how can the Muslim and Christian Palestinian get in to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher or to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and all Palestinians are banned from entering Jerusalem, whether for work, for tourism, for treatment or for worship, and for Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to access Jerusalem or Bethlehem.
The Centre also reminded the meeting of the Israeli violations against our people since the issuance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. Furthermore, the center stated that our people, like the rest of the world, had the right to self-determination and to establish a state on their national land.
