Bahrain stresses firm stance towards Palestinian issue

TDT | Manama

Bahrain has affirmed its unwavering position towards the Palestinian issue and its support for all efforts aimed at reaching a just, comprehensive and lasting solution. This was declared during the Kingdom’s participation in the UN Security Council’s virtual briefing on the situation in the Middle East.

A permanent resolution should lead to the Palestinian people attaining all their legitimate rights as other peoples, and to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the principle of a two-state solution and based on the Arab peace initiative and relevant resolutions of international legitimacy.

Bahrain’s UN permanent representative Ambassador Jamal Fares Alrowaiei pointed out in his speech that Israeli plans to annex Palestinian lands in the West Bank and impose Israeli sovereignty over them and over the illegal settlements established on the land of the State of Palestine, occupied since 1967, is a serious threat to international peace and security.

It is also an explicit violation of international resolutions, and undermines the chances of achieving just and lasting peace in the Middle East, he said, stressing that today the international community must build on the decades-old UN efforts to reach a peaceful, comprehensive, fair, and lasting solution to this central issue.

The UN permanent representative expressed the Kingdom’s condemnation of the Iran-backed Houthi militias’ recent preparation of two booby-trapped boats to carry out hostilities and terrorist operations in Bab Al-Mandab Strait and the southern Red Sea, which reflects a clear insistence from the Houthis to threaten the safety of maritime traffic and a serious targetting of security and stability in the region.

He also stated that, due to the serious threat posed by Iranian arms transfers in the region, it has become imperative for the UN Security Council to extend the arms embargo imposed on Iran to counter its deployment of weapons to its proxies, and hold Iran responsible for its actions.

Ambassador Alrowaiei added that the Bahrain supports the appeal of the UN secretary-general for an immediate ceasefire in all corners of the globe, to reinforce diplomatic action in conflict areas and help create conditions for the delivery of life-saving aid to places that are among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

He added that since the shared battle has become the fight against this pandemic, the international community must push forward efforts to stop the practices that aggravate the suffering of civilians around the world, in order to achieve international peace and security and ensure a more prosperous future for all peoples.