THE Guyana Government last week announced its formal recognition of the Palestinian State as free, independent and sovereign, based on its 1967 borders. This is not surprising because it is in keeping with Guyana’s longstanding and unwavering solidarity with, and commitment to, the just and legitimate aspirations of the people of Palestine for the exercise of their right to self determination and to achieve a homeland of their own, independent, free, prosperous and at peace.
It is also in line with Guyana’s advocacy over the years for a two- state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the people of Israel and Palestine living side by side in their free and independent countries in peace, prosperity and harmony and within secure and internationally recognized borders.
The governing party, in and out of government, has always taken an uncompromising stand on the right of the Palestinian people to an independent homeland.
While in opposition, it consistently held solidarity activities with the Palestinian people in the form of picketing, symposia, lectures and regular dispatches of messages condemning the many atrocities that have been and are still being committed against Palestinians.
There is an urgent need for a lasting solution to this Middle East conflict, but it is a complicated and delicate issue because of its historical origin.
More importantly, however, it is complicated because of the self-interests of some big powers and it is because of the latter mainly that all the peace initiatives have failed.
The people of the Middle East are being used as pawns in a power and economic enrichment game, in which the enormous loss of lives and property is secondary to the self-interests of some.
In the last decade alone, almost 5,000 Palestinians have been killed, and Palestinians have lost close to $40 billion in income opportunities, 20 million square metres of agricultural land, and 100 million man hours in crossing at Ramallah. Moreover, almost 1.7 million of the four million residents of Gaza and The West Bank are refugees.
The greatest hope for peace in the Middle East was destroyed when former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right wing extremist in November 1995 for embracing a peace treaty with the late and revered Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Rabin took a different and unprecedented approach to the Middle East conflict compared to nearly all his predecessors, conceding the right of the Palestinians to a state of their own.
In no small measure, Rabin’s greatness lay in his ability to deliver tough truths to his own people. He spoke directly to his public about the need to change national priorities to avoid radicalisation and achieve peace with Israel’s neighbours.
His assassination was most unfortunate, particularly for the people of the Middle East.
And as long as the United States and its western allies continue to openly side with and provide financial, technological and military support to Israel, there will never be peace and a lasting solution to the Middle East crisis.
They are not supporting Israel simply because they feel Israel is right. They are doing so because of economic and commercial interests.
This is the crux of the matter and unless this policy is changed, there will always be turmoil in the Middle East.