THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) yesterday issued a statement welcoming the decision of the United Nations (UN) to upgrade the status of Palestine from “non-member observer entity” to that of “non-member observer state.”

According to the release, the decision was overwhelmingly supported by member countries of the Assembly, the genuine international community, including Guyana which co–sponsored the resolution.
“The supporting countries, we note, have received high commendation from peace loving peoples across the globe,” it stated.
The release further noted that it is a significant victory for Palestine, its people and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) chaired by Mahmoud Abbas.
However, it pointed out that this must be seen as a stage in the long struggles of the Palestinian people.
“The Palestinians must now press on to establish an independent sovereign State in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip,” the release continued.
GAWU through its press release noted that in spite of the strenuous opposition especially by Israel and the United States of America to avoid the UN decision, world support for justice and peace for the Palestinian people was a triumph of international support and solidarity with Palestine.
“The struggle, nonetheless, continues by the Palestinians to rid the country of Israeli occupation of their land illegally occupied by Israel since June, 1967 and for the country to become an independent State,” it stated.
According to the release, President Abbas who addressed the General Assembly last September, said, “Despite all the complexities of the prevailing reality and the frustrations that abound, we say before the international community there is still a chance – maybe the last – to save the two-state solution and to salvage peace.”
The release further stated that pressure on the United States, which is the main backer financially and militarily of the blood-thirsty Israeli regime, must be now pursued vigorously especially by the large number of countries which did not vote against Palestine’s new status and to press Israel to discontinue its recent plan for the construction of an additional 3,000 homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
“The withdrawal of Israel from the occupied territories is a key question which the international community must address along with the question of Palestinian statehood which has been much too long on our history’s agenda,” the release highlighted.
In welcoming this important decision taken by the UN, the GAWU expressed appreciation at Guyana’s stand. However, it stated that at the same time, the union is dismayed by the position taken by the nine countries which voted in opposition to a just Palestinian cause.