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Palestine urges world to make independence day a reality

Xinhua, November 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

A senior Palestinian official on Sunday urged the international community to turn the independence day observed by Palestinians a reality on the ground.

Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat said that the time has come to embody the independence of the State of Palestine on the ground "as a political and a legal entitlement and a human right."

The international political system bears the legal and moral responsibility for this move, Erekat added.

He said that the declaration, read by late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, marked a new stage in the Palestinian people's struggle for independence, freedom and the establishment of their state.

Erekat added that the accumulative sacrifices of the Palestinian people and leadership have led 137 countries to recognize the Palestinian state, and the United Nations elevated Palestine representation to that of non-state observer status in 2012, and made Palestinians members of international treaties such as the international criminal court in 2014.

Palestinians commemorate the 27th anniversary of the declaration of independence, announced by Arafat on Nov. 15, 1988 in front of the Palestine National Council.

However, the state was never accomplished on the ground due to the struggling peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis.

The declaration endorsed the UN Partition Resolution and the PLO recognized the two-state solution as a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Erekat accused Israel of continuously "destroying the prospects of a two-state solution to an extent where very few still believe that this goal could be achieved."

"In the past three decades, Israel's settler population has more than tripled and Israeli policies, including land grab, theft of natural resources, forcible transfer and collective punishments among others continue to derail Palestinian fundamental human rights," he said in the statement.

Erekat expressed disappointment at the international community "as it continues to be a partner in the killing of hope in the minds of Palestinians by providing the occupying power with the diplomatic cover it needs to continue with its crimes."

The anniversary comes amidst a continued wave of tension between the Palestinians and Israelis that flared up early October.

Eighty-six Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire since the beginning of the unrest, whereas 14 Israelis died of running over and stabbing attacks implemented by Palestinians. Endit