Bahrain backs Palestine

Bahrain has reiterated its unwavering support to the Palestinians in their struggle to regain their inalienable rights and establish an independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital – on the basis of the international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative (2002).  

Addressing the 30th Arab Parliament (AP) Emergency Conference in Amman, Jordan, Council of Representatives Speaker Fawzia Zainal stressed the commitment of the Kingdom of Bahrain, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, to the principled stance.

She said that the conference convenes at a critical phase in the history of the Arab and Islamic nations, urging unity and responsibility in supporting the Palestinian issue which remains central to Arabs and Muslims despite all regional challenges .

She underlined the responsibility and challenges facing all Arab parliaments and legislative councils to reach stances and resolutions that reflect the aspirations of Arab and Islamic peoples.

She called for a strong stance in line with the final communique of the Arab Foreign Ministers’ Council meeting, which rejected any plan which does not take into account the aspirations of the Palestinian people and contradicts the international law and UN resolutions.

She stressed the importance of renewing commitment to peace as strategic option to settle the Palestinian issue.

She underlined Bahrain’s appreciation of the efforts exerted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his keenness on unifying Arab stances.

She also called on the international community to assume its responsibility regarding of the protection of the Palestinian people.

The speaker stressed the necessity for the final communique to reject all unilateral plans and proposals, which fail to take into account the Palestinians’ interests and inalienable rights.

Arab foreign ministers who recently met in Cairo to discuss US President Donald Trump's plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which was formally announced last week, have rejected the proposal.

In a communique, the Arab League said it would not co-operate with the US to execute the plan because it "does not meet the minimum rights and aspirations of Palestinian people."

The pan-Arab bloc also said Israel should not implement the initiative by force. 

The meeting at the Arab League headquarters came at the request of the Palestinians. 

"The plan leads to a status that amounts to a one-state situation that comprises two classes of citizens, that is apartheid, in which the Palestinians will be second-class citizens, deprived of the basic rights of citizenship," Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said.

Trump's long-awaited proposal for Israeli-Palestinian peace would allow Israel to annex all its West Bank settlements, something that the Palestinians and most of the international community view as illegal.

It also allows for the annexation of the Jordan Valley, which accounts for roughly a quarter of the West Bank.

Palestinians would be granted statehood in Gaza, scattered chunks of the West Bank and some neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

The US has proposed to link these Palestinian sections through new network of roads, bridges and tunnels, while letting Israel control the state's borders and airspace, as well as maintain overall security authority.