Palestine envoy condemns US-backed Iran-Israel conflict in Middle East

Palestine's Ambassador to India condemned the US-backed conflict between Iran and Israel, calling it 'reprehensible'. He said the root of Middle East wars was the Balfour Declaration and that the 'Palestinian question' is at the centre of it.

Palestine Ambassador Abdullah Abu Shawesh on Tuesday condemned the ongoing conflict backed by the United States between Iran and Israel that has escalated tensions in the Middle East, bringing the region to a standstill. He said the events that are unfolding between Iran, Israel and other Gulf countries can't be discussed without highlighting the issuing of the Balfour Declaration on November 2, 1970. Shawesh added that Palestinians view it as the exact day when war in the Middle East was declared.

'Completely Against This War'

"When you talk about our view as Palestinians, because we had been suffering from the wars and battles a long time ago, we are totally against any war which erupts anywhere around the world. So, when it came to the current battle between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other side, we are completely against this war. It is reprehensible for us, as Palestinians, and it should be reprehensible for any human being," the Palestinian Ambassador to India told ANI.

Balfour Declaration at the Root of Conflict

Shawesh argued that the current conflict between Iran and Israel was related to the Middle East issue, and the "Palestinian question" was at the centre of it. "But when it came to this issue, we could not isolate it as to what is happening right now between Iran, the Gulf States and Israel. We cannot isolate it from its root, which we as Palestinians take back to November 2, 1970, by issuing the Balfour Declaration - the war in the Middle East was declared on that exact day. We should analyse and discuss the battle that is going on right now, and at a macro-level, it is related to the Middle East issue, and in the centre of it is the Palestinian question," he added.

The Balfour Declaration was a letter, signed by Arthur James Balfour, who was the British Foreign Secretary, addressed to Lord Walter Rothschild that declared "sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations". The letter talked about the British government's support for establishing a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine.

Impact on Gulf Countries

Meanwhile, talking about the impact of Iran's counter-strikes on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the Palestine Ambassador said that even though the US and Israel started this war, there was no way to figure out how to end the war. "Israel and the USA started this war, started this battle. But how to end this war, no one knows how this war will end, or who can end this war. So, unfortunately, Iran also attacked the Gulf States, attacked the UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. This is completely unacceptable from our side," Shawesh said.

Current State of Conflict

The conflict in the Middle East has entered its fourth day following the US and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, along with other key figures in the Persian Gulf country. In retaliation, Tehran has responded with counter-strikes targeting American military bases and other Israeli assets across the region.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)