Qatar’s emir calls for support to Palestinians in UN speech

By Ibrahim Al-Khazen

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in his address to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York City, called to support the Palestinian people to find a just political solution.

"It is not acceptable for the Palestinian people to remain prisoners of the Israeli settler occupation arbitrariness, and the rejection of any just political solution in accordance with the principles of international legitimacy," Sheikh Tamim said on Tuesday.

He said the failure of international organizations continues to provide the opportunity for Israel "to undermine the foundations of the two-state solution by means of settlement expansion."

The Qatari leader also spoke about attacks on holy sites in Jerusalem, use of heavy-handed means against Palestinians and restrictions in the Gaza Strip.

He said Doha provides political, humanitarian and development support to the "brotherly Palestinian people" and contributes towards rebuilding the Gaza Strip, which is "reeling under the siege."

The emir said the crisis in Syria "is still awaiting a comprehensive settlement through a political process leading to a political transition.”

Sheikh Tamim also touched upon the ongoing civil war in Sudan, saying: “We condemn the crimes perpetrated against civilians in the capital Khartoum and Darfur region.” He called for “holding perpetrators to account,” and for cessation of fighting.

He affirmed Qatar’s “support for all regional and international efforts to facilitate reaching a cease-fire and hold a dialogue between the Sudanese political forces about the future of Sudan, with only one army charged with protecting rather than ruling the country.”

On Lebanon, the leader stressed the need for finding a "sustainable solution" to the political vacuum, and forming a government capable of addressing the aspirations of the Lebanese people and getting them out of their economic and developmental crisis.

He also spoke on Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, and the recent reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and called for a "radical peaceful solution" to end the Ukraine war.

Regarding the incidents of burning copies of the holy Quran in a number of European countries, the emir said “it is implausible for us to get distracted by an idiot or a biased person whenever it occurs to him to provoke us by burning the holy Quran or by other forms of triviality.”

“The Quran is too holy to be desecrated by a witless person,” he said, adding that "compromising the sanctity of others deliberately should not be seen as an example of the freedom of expression."

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara