Ambassador to Palestine appointed under President’s leadership

M.P.Muttiah

Palestine Ambassador Dr. Anwar Al-Agha said it was under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s leadership an Ambassador of Sri Lanka was appointed to Palestine. Speaking at a press conference to mark the UN declared Palestine Solidarity Day held at the Labour Ministry Auditorium, the Ambassaodr said President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the Solidarity Committee Chairman for many years.

The Ambassador said the issue of Jerusalem was the main issue for the solution of Palestinian problem. Although the two-state solution was put forward nothing happened so far due to the pressure of western countries.

“We waited for 61 years and we cannot do so any more. The Palestine people will declare the Palestinian State soon and a resolution would be submitted at the UN Security Council and General Assembly in this regard,” he said.

Al Agha said although the Palestinian state was proclaimed in 1989 in Algiers, it did not materialise owing to the pressure from other countries. Sri Lanka was one of the first countries to recognise the Palestinian State. Once the declaration is made Sri Lanka and Palestine would be able to increase co-operation in many fields he said.

The Ambassador alleged that western countries were silent about 15,000 Palestine people who languish in Israeli prisons.

Children who were born after Israel’s Phosphorous attack on the Gaza Strip this year had been seriously affected.

Secretary, Sri Lanka Committee for Solidarity with Palestine Nanda Kaluthanthiri said it was late T.B. Ilangaratne proposed then Parliamentarian Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Chairman of the Committee.

He added most of the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim leaders has always supported the Palestinian people since 1947. He said relations between the two peoples have considerably enhanced after the visits of Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka to Palestine and President Mohamed Abbas to Sri Lanka.

Committee Co- president Imtiaz Bakeer Markar chaired the briefing.