Amr Musa: The world is shaping the future of Palestine irreversibly.
In a telephone interview with the program “Al-Hakayya” that aired on Egypt’s MBC channel on Sunday evening, Amr Moussa described the official British announcement of recognizing the state of Palestine as “a correction of Britain’s position” and “the beginning of a new development in the Palestinian cause.”
He emphasized that the recognition of the state of Palestine by Britain has a special meaning and impact, especially since the country itself issued the “Balfour Declaration.”
The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government during World War I, supporting the creation of a “national home for the Jews” in Palestine, a region that was then part of the Ottoman Empire and whose Jewish population constituted only about 3 to 5 percent of the total population.
Amr Moussa, responding to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that “no Palestinian state will be formed,” said: “He is free to say whatever he wants, but now the majority of the international community recognizes Palestine.”
He noted that the four permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have now recognized Palestine, which gives further assurance that a Palestinian state will definitely be formed.
The former Egyptian diplomat stated that London’s move has an important political and historical symbol and marks the beginning of a broader political movement within the framework of the international community, where 80 percent of its countries have now recognized Palestine.
He added: “These successive recognitions show that ‘this country (Palestine) now has an owner.”
Amr Moussa also pointed out the impact of this action on the international community’s stance on the Israeli occupation. In response to the question of whether countries that have not yet recognized Palestine will gradually take this path, he said: “Support for the Palestinian cause is no longer limited to Arab countries, but now enjoys global support that relies on international law; a law that has been abused and destroyed in recent years.” He noted that Britain’s recognition of the state of Palestine is a very important step, especially after what we are witnessing in Gaza, as well as the events taking place in other countries such as Lebanon, Syria, and Qatar, which are considered “an unprecedented disrespect for Arab dignity.”