Asia, Africa show solidarity with Palestine

Jakarta, April 25

The Bandung Conference of Asia and African countries have adopted a resolution that seeks liberation of Palestine from “illegal Israeli occupation” and for an agreement that fulfils all inalienable rights and legitimate national aspirations of Palestinian people.

The Conference, also attended by India, asked the countries which have not yet recognised the State of Palestine to do so to ensure that the freedom and independence of all Asian and African countries is comprehensive and complete.

In the declaration on Palestine adopted here during the Asian African Conference, the countries expressed their concerns that the mediated negotiations between Israel and Palestine have reached a deadlock.
Over 90 countries from Asia and Africa have congregated here to commemorate 60-years of 1955 historical Bandung Conference which became the foundation stone for Non-Aligned Movement during the peak of cold war.

The NAM, in whose creation the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had played a leading role, was aimed at maintaining equidistance from erstwhile blocs of the USSR and USA.

“We stress that the only viable solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict is an agreement, which ends the illegal Israeli occupation that began in 1967, resolves all permanent status issues...an justly fulfills the inalienable rights and legitimate national aspirations of Palestinian people," the declaration said.

Israel was not invited for the Conference.

"We also call on Israel to end its irresponsible acts, incitements and provocations in East Jerusalem particularly towards Al-Aqsa Mosque and other holy sites, which are a blatant contradiction with the international law and the international humanitarian law and are inflaming tensions and threaten peace and security in the region and beyond," it said.

The countries demanded that rapid and full disbursement of pledges made at the Cairo Conference on Palestine besides reconstruction of Gaza and asked Israel to cease holding tax revenues of Palestine.

"We also remind the occupying Power of its obligation to respect international law in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, in a way, which fully takes into account the needs of the civilian population and notably preserves its demographic characteristics and stop all attempts to alter the holy city," it said. — PTI