Dr. Saeb Erekat Expressed His Appreciation and Pride for the Solidarity of the British People with the Rights of Our People

The Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Dr. Saeb Erekat, expressed his appreciation for the role and efforts exerted by individuals, institutions and solidarity groups in Britain and their colleagues all over the world that support the inalienable rights of our people, most importantly the right of self-determination and the establishment of a Palestinian state on the land occupies in 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Erekat’s comments came in response to the solidarity activities and events in support of the Palestinian right that started around the world in the centennial of the disastrous Balfour Declaration, especially in Britain. He said that "International solidarity with the rights of our people has played a strategic and important role in the course of our historic struggle against colonial occupation and has embodied in practice the principles and values and common struggle of our people and made significant progress, on the one hand, in exposing the fabricated Israeli discourse and the occupations’ violations that are in contravention to international law, and in supporting the rights of our people on the other.

Erekat praised the thousands of British and international solidarity activists who organized demonstrations and protests and signed petitions and wrote letters to their governments in order to renounce the Balfour Declaration, to apologize and reject the historic injustice to our people,  and demand their government to comply with the will of their people and the immediate recognition of the State of Palestine, including the recognition by the British delegation that came to Palestine walking on foot, the members of the House of Commons, the House of Lords, the individuals, institutions, solidarity groups, academics, religious leaders and others. "Our people depend on our friends for justice and rights. Our people gain their strength from you, and we appreciate the upsurge in the international campaign and popular solidarity in support of its just cause. Our people renew its demands from the British government to rescind its positions supporting the Israeli colonial occupation in Palestine and to follow the example of its people to end the occupation."