KUALA LUMPUR: The new Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia, Walid Abu Ali (pix) is grateful to the government and people of Malaysia for its wholehearted support towards the seven-decade Palestinian struggle.
The diplomat who came into office early this month said the Malaysian prime minister had been steadfast in highlighting the Palestinian issues at various international fora.
“Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad dedicated a significant portion of his speech for Palestine during the (73rd) United Nations General Assembly (in September 2018).
“We thank Malaysia’s strong stand in this regard,“ he said, adding that Dr Mahathir also brought up the issue of Australia’s intention to move their embassy to Jerusalem.
Walid said this in his speech at the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People observed by the embassy here Thursday.
Bernama previously reported that Dr Mahathir, during his bilateral meeting with Australian counterpart Scott John Morrison on the sidelines of the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Singapore recently, had described an Australian plan to move its embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as something that was not going to be helpful.
The Australian Government has yet to make a final decision on the matter but is expected to do so before Christmas, according to international reports.
Walid also criticised the United States’ administration for moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May this year.
Denouncing the Israel Zionist regime, he described it as an apartheid regime which had occupied the Palestinian land for over seven decades.
Meanwhile, speaking at the event, Dean of the Arab Diplomatic Corps in Malaysia, Saad Abdullah Al-Asousi said the Solidarity Day reminded the world the Palestinian issue was far from being resolved.
Saad Abdullah, who is also Kuwaiti Ambassador to Malaysia, stressed the Arab world’s commitment towards Palestine in ensuring that Palestinians would be able to return to their homeland.
The event was also attended by the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Malaysia, Stefan Priesner, diplomats from other Arab countries and the Palestinian community in Malaysia.
In 1977, the UN General Assembly called for the annual observance of Nov 29 as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People to mark the day Resolution 181 (II) was adopted in 1947.
The resolution, which later became known as the Partition Resolution, provided for the establishment in Palestine of a “Jewish State” and an “Arab State”, with Jerusalem as a corpus separatum (a separate entity) under a special international regime. — Bernama
