thousands of palestinians protest on balfour declaration centenary
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

to protest on the 100th anniversary

Thousands of Palestinians protest on Balfour Declaration centenary

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicleThousands of Palestinians protest on Balfour Declaration centenary

Palestinians protest in the occupied West Bank
Ramallah - Muslimchronicle

 Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of various cities on Thursday to protest on the 100th anniversary of Britain's Balfour Declaration, which helped lead to Israel's creation and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas used the occasion to denounce the declaration, writing in a newspaper opinion piece that "the creation of a homeland for one people resulted in the dispossession and continuing persecution of another".

Several Palestinian leaders have called on Britain to apologise for the 67-word declaration that said it viewed "with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people".

Around 4,000 people gathered in the West Bank city of Nablus, where effigies supposed to represent British Prime Minister Theresa May and former British leader Arthur Balfour were set ablaze.

A few thousand more gathered in Gaza and hundreds in Ramallah. Smaller rallies were held in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, where protesters burned a British flag.

Several dozen Palestinians also protested outside the British consulate in Jerusalem.

In Nablus, marchers chanted "Oh the English colonisers, we want an apology from you."

In Ramallah signs called Balfour "the promise of he who doesn't own to those who don't deserve" -- a common expression in Arabic for the Balfour Declaration.

Some protesters held black flags calling for Palestinian refugees to be allowed the right to return, as they marched from Ramallah's Arafat Square to a nearby British cultural office.

"Balfour promised to establish the Israeli entity and its result is everything the Palestinian people still suffer from today, such as displacement, destruction and pain," said Abu Haitham Amro, 70, who was carrying a Palestinian flag.

In Gaza, more than 3,000 people took part in a march from a square in Gaza City to the local United Nations headquarters.

- Hopes for solution fade -

The Balfour Declaration is celebrated among Israelis, who see it as a major step toward the founding of their state in 1948 at a time when Jews were facing persecution elsewhere.

But the war surrounding Israel's creation also led to some 750,000 Palestinians either fleeing or being expelled from their homes -- what they call the "Nakba", or catastrophe.

Senior Palestinian official Mahmoud Al-Alul told AFP in Ramallah the British government should apologise.

"It is unprecedented for criminals to celebrate their crime. That the British prime minister insists on celebrating this means they persist in the oppression of the Palestinian people."

In 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in the Six-Day War. It has since annexed east Jerusalem and the occupation of the West Bank continues.

Hopes for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are greatly diminishing.

"The Palestinians say that the Balfour Declaration was a tragedy. It wasn't a tragedy," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday before departing for London, where he is marking the anniversary.

"What's been tragic is their refusal to accept this 100 years later. I hope they change their mind, because if they do they can move forward finally to making peace between our two peoples."

Abbas wrote in Britain's Guardian newspaper: "We have endorsed the two-state solution for the past 30 years, a solution that becomes increasingly impossible with every passing day.

"As long as the state of Israel continues to be celebrated and rewarded, rather than held accountable to universal standards for its continued violations of international law, it will have no incentive to end the occupation," he added, referring in particular to Israeli settlement building.

Source: AFP

themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

thousands of palestinians protest on balfour declaration centenary thousands of palestinians protest on balfour declaration centenary

 



Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

GMT 12:04 2017 Wednesday ,27 September

Thomas Cook sees tourists return to Turkey and Egypt

GMT 20:15 2017 Friday ,17 March

Attack On Aid Convoy in South Sudan Kills Two

GMT 17:32 2017 Friday ,15 September

At least 33 dead in Nigeria boat capsize

GMT 17:23 2013 Friday ,24 May

Woolwich: Terrorism or political murder?

GMT 17:52 2017 Tuesday ,18 April

Meningitis kills 10 more people in NW Nigeria

GMT 18:08 2017 Tuesday ,17 October

Norway solar firm signs 2.5 bn-euro deal with Iran

GMT 07:43 2018 Monday ,22 January

Macron boosts Merkel ahead of key coalition vote

GMT 05:32 2016 Monday ,18 April

Australian dollar falls amid oil talk breakdown

GMT 04:45 2016 Thursday ,15 December

UAE Ambassador and Chilean Energy Minister discuss

GMT 15:34 2011 Saturday ,19 November

Williams to resume sibling rivalry in exhibition

GMT 13:03 2017 Tuesday ,14 March

Snoop Dogg shoots at Trump in new video

GMT 09:37 2016 Monday ,19 September

Southeast Asian haze crisis killed over 100,000

GMT 08:27 2015 Monday ,19 October

Patriots down Colts in 'Deflategate' rematch

GMT 16:36 2017 Tuesday ,12 September

Quarter of houses in Florida Keys destroyed

GMT 21:22 2016 Thursday ,23 June

Poll: Israelis even on Clinton vs. Trump
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
 
 Themuslimchronicle Facebook,themuslimchronicle facebook  Themuslimchronicle Twitter,themuslimchronicle twitter Themuslimchronicle Rss,themuslimchronicle rss  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©

muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle