PLO chief negotiator demands UK “fix this mistake” of the Balfour Declaration “by apologizing to the Palestinian people”
Headline: “Erekat: We oppose the burial of the two-state solution”
“PLO Executive Committee Secretary[-General] Saeb Erekat today [Feb. 15, 2017] emphasized that the alternative to the two-state solution is one democratic state with equal rights for all of its residents – Christians, Muslims, and Jews alike. Erekat made the statements during a press conference that he held this afternoon at the offices of the [PLO] Department for Negotiation Affairs in the city of Jericho, during which he emphasized that it is impossible to accept a reality of one state with two regimes (an apartheid state) [parentheses in source]…
He said: ‘We say to all those who want to bury the solution of two states on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital [of the Palestinian state] through dictates, the expansion of the settlements, and the theft of lands, resources, and water, that the only alternative is one democratic state with equal rights for everyone – Christians, Muslims, and Jews alike. However, two sides are required for this equation, and the Israeli side is not ready for this solution’…
He added: ‘We made large and painful concessions when we conceded 78% of the historical land of Palestine (i.e., Israel, not including Gaza and the West Bank), the land of our ancestors. Six million Palestinians are still living under Israeli control throughout historical Palestine (i.e., Israeli Arabs as well as Arab residents of the West Bank and Gaza), and six million are living in the diaspora and refugee camps. Our people will continue to stand firm on its land and will resist in all ways, until the implementation of our state’s sovereignty within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital’…
He also said: ‘We have demanded of the government of Britain that it bear its legal, political, and moral responsibility for the historical injustice that the Balfour Promise (i.e., Declaration) caused to the Palestinian people, and to fix this mistake by apologizing to the Palestinian people, doing justice to the victims [of this mistake] upon the passing of 100 years of torment and being refugees, and immediately recognizing the State of Palestine.’
Erekat expressed the opposition of the Palestinian leadership and people to British Prime Minister Theresa May’s announcement of the celebrations to mark 100 shameful years since the Balfour Promise. He described this as a humiliation of our people and the principles of human rights, and added: ‘Instead of celebrating, they should apologize, take practical steps to save the two-state solution from the Israeli dictates, boycott the colonialist settlement system, recognize Palestine, and listen to the will of the British people whose representatives recognized the State of Palestine in the British Parliament [in 2014].’”
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The Balfour Declaration of Nov. 2, 1917 was a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Baron Rothschild stating that "His Majesty's government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people." In 1922, the League of Nations adopted this and made the British Mandate "responsible for putting into effect the declaration," which led to the UN vote in 1947 and the establishment of the State of Israel.
“PLO Executive Committee Secretary[-General] Saeb Erekat today [Feb. 15, 2017] emphasized that the alternative to the two-state solution is one democratic state with equal rights for all of its residents – Christians, Muslims, and Jews alike. Erekat made the statements during a press conference that he held this afternoon at the offices of the [PLO] Department for Negotiation Affairs in the city of Jericho, during which he emphasized that it is impossible to accept a reality of one state with two regimes (an apartheid state) [parentheses in source]…
He said: ‘We say to all those who want to bury the solution of two states on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital [of the Palestinian state] through dictates, the expansion of the settlements, and the theft of lands, resources, and water, that the only alternative is one democratic state with equal rights for everyone – Christians, Muslims, and Jews alike. However, two sides are required for this equation, and the Israeli side is not ready for this solution’…
He added: ‘We made large and painful concessions when we conceded 78% of the historical land of Palestine (i.e., Israel, not including Gaza and the West Bank), the land of our ancestors. Six million Palestinians are still living under Israeli control throughout historical Palestine (i.e., Israeli Arabs as well as Arab residents of the West Bank and Gaza), and six million are living in the diaspora and refugee camps. Our people will continue to stand firm on its land and will resist in all ways, until the implementation of our state’s sovereignty within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital’…
He also said: ‘We have demanded of the government of Britain that it bear its legal, political, and moral responsibility for the historical injustice that the Balfour Promise (i.e., Declaration) caused to the Palestinian people, and to fix this mistake by apologizing to the Palestinian people, doing justice to the victims [of this mistake] upon the passing of 100 years of torment and being refugees, and immediately recognizing the State of Palestine.’
Erekat expressed the opposition of the Palestinian leadership and people to British Prime Minister Theresa May’s announcement of the celebrations to mark 100 shameful years since the Balfour Promise. He described this as a humiliation of our people and the principles of human rights, and added: ‘Instead of celebrating, they should apologize, take practical steps to save the two-state solution from the Israeli dictates, boycott the colonialist settlement system, recognize Palestine, and listen to the will of the British people whose representatives recognized the State of Palestine in the British Parliament [in 2014].’”
Click to view bulletin
The Balfour Declaration of Nov. 2, 1917 was a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Baron Rothschild stating that "His Majesty's government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people." In 1922, the League of Nations adopted this and made the British Mandate "responsible for putting into effect the declaration," which led to the UN vote in 1947 and the establishment of the State of Israel.
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