The first day of the 6th International Conference was quite challenging, Mahfuz Sidik, a member of the Indonesian House of Representatives, stated here on Tuesday (Feb 21).
The international conference organized by the Parliament of Islamic Republic of Iran is being held in Tehran on Feb 21-22.
In the opening speech, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, questioned all peace negotiations and diplomatic efforts that have been undertaken for decades without success. In fact, Israel openly continues to seize Palestinian lands.
Khameneis speech was followed by statements from the leaders of other countries who spoke at the first day of the conference.
Nabih Beri, a Lebanese parliament speaker, emphasized that the two-state solution is an Israeli lie, as it continues to seize lands belonging to the Palestinians.
The statement was seconded by Shaykh Naim Kasim, a Hizbollah leader, who called for an armed battle against Israel.
All the heads of delegations from 80 countries voiced their strong protest to the construction of illegal Jewish settlements on Palestinian lands in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
They also condemned the legalization of illegal settlements by the Israeli Parliament.
Protests and harsh criticism on the idea of the two-state solution was resonated by the Palestinian side.
Salim Janun, a Palestinian parliament speaker, stressed the need for struggle against the Israeli Zionist to reclaim the rights of the Palestinian people that have been seized by Israeli invaders.
This statement was also reinforced by the representatives of Fatah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad attending the conference.
Sidik, who is attending the conference, explained that harsh criticism to the idea of a two-state solution appears to cast a shadow over the peace negotiations and political diplomacy to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that have yielded no results.
"It is obvious that all negotiations only benefit the Israelis. The Palestinian lands continue to be colonized, while the position of the Palestinian people is getting weaker. No wonder, objections are emerging over the two-state solution," Sidik remarked.
Furthermore, he explained that the Indonesian delegation, led by Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives Agus Hermanto, also did not raise the two-state solution at the plenary session.
"The psycho-political environment was not favorable. We simply affirmed the necessity of accelerating the embodiment of an independent and sovereign Palestine state, and Israel must withdraw from all the occupied territories," Sidik added.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
