'Moment to make peace': 'No military solution to Palestinian question', only solution is 'political'

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00 Norway, Ireland and Spain together recognizing a Palestinian state.

00:05 It's a largely symbolic move, but it further deepens Israel's isolation.

00:09 Well joining us now, Palestinian Ambassador Hala Abu Haseera, head of the Palestinian

00:15 Mission to France.

00:16 Thank you for being with us here.

00:17 Thank you for the invitation.

00:18 On France 24.

00:19 This had been in the works for a while.

00:21 Comes the same week as the arrest warrant requests by the ICC's chief prosecutor.

00:27 Your reaction?

00:28 Very positively.

00:29 We highly welcome the recognition by Ireland, Norway and Spain today of the Palestinian

00:36 state.

00:37 A recognition that comes in coherence with the engagement of these states and with the

00:44 collectively, the international community towards the recognition of the right of the

00:50 Palestinian people to self-determination and to preserve the two-state solution.

00:57 One that has been advocated for so long, advocated by the whole of the international community.

01:05 It's about time today was the moment that collectively these countries recognize the

01:12 state of Palestine, of the Palestinian people right to exist, of his national identity and

01:19 to say it's the moment to make peace.

01:21 It's the moment to stop the aggression and that there is no solution, military solution

01:27 to the Palestinian question.

01:28 The only solution would be political and should be political.

01:32 Now what we're seeing is, and we heard analysts on this very set 24 hours ago, warning that

01:38 this increased pressure on Israel may lead to the opposite effect.

01:44 The government of Benjamin Netanyahu doubling down, and we saw it today with his far right

01:50 security minister going to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, with Mr. Smotrych freezing tax revenues

01:57 for the West Bank.

01:59 Is this going to make things worse before they make it better?

02:03 Israel has been doing this for 76 years already, since it's begun at the Palestinian Nakba

02:10 and it began its ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.

02:14 The colonization has been expanding at an unprecedented level, even before October.

02:22 The violation of the rights of the Palestinian people, war crimes, crimes against humanity

02:28 and now the crime of genocide are happening in spite of the international will, in spite

02:34 of international law, in spite of the provisional measures ordered by the ICJ and in spite of

02:42 the recent decision by the ICC.

02:44 Israel is, I would say, violating every single article of international law.

02:52 Of course, it will collectively punish the Palestinian people, as it has always been

02:58 doing.

02:59 But today we say it's not up to Israel.

03:02 Israel has never been as isolated on the international scene.

03:07 Israel has never been as isolated as it is today in the United Nations.

03:12 And Israel has to choose today.

03:14 This is the moment of choice, whether they want really, what kind of future they want

03:20 for their people, for the Palestinian people, for the peoples of the region as well.

03:25 This is the moment of choice for Israel to stop its aggression, its crimes, and to abide

03:30 by international law.

03:31 So some Hamas officials taking credit for the fact that the likes of Spain, Ireland

03:38 and Norway are recognizing a Palestinian state, saying if we hadn't picked up our weapons

03:43 and had armed struggle, this wouldn't have happened.

03:45 What's your reaction?

03:46 The state of Palestine has been engaged in a legal battle, I would say, on the international

03:53 arena, for the recognition of the state of Palestine since decades today.

03:58 And today's recognition comes as a fruit of the combat, really the struggle of the Palestinian

04:05 people for the past 76 years, for the past 76 years.

04:10 Today this is the victory of the Palestinian people.

04:13 This is the recognition of his existence, an existence that is denied by the state of

04:17 Israel and its ministers.

04:19 This is a recognition for equality.

04:22 Is Hamas right, though, to take credit?

04:25 The whole of Palestinian people should take credit for this.

04:28 And President Abbas, who was engaged for decades in the peaceful way to find a peaceful solution

04:38 with Israel.

04:39 The question today is, what does Israel want?

04:43 Does it want to go in the path of negotiations and the path and the way of peace that preserves

04:50 the equality rights, equal rights for everyone in the region?

04:55 This is the question today.

04:56 Ambassador Asira, France recognizing the independence of the ICC earlier this week, distancing itself

05:03 from the positions of the UK and the United States, but at the same time, it's not recognizing

05:08 a Palestinian state at this time.

05:10 What's your reaction to that?

05:11 Is France right?

05:12 I invite France to immediately recognize the state of Palestine in coherence with its...

05:17 Do you understand the French position?

05:19 I really hope that France seizes this moment, this very brilliant moment today, a victory

05:27 for international law, for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

05:37 And this recognition by France would be in coherence with its different votings in the

05:42 Security Council and the General Assembly and the annual voting that France votes for

05:47 the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

05:50 This is the right moment.

05:52 And I hope France joins these countries who are sending a clear message that double standard

05:58 is no longer acceptable, that Israel does not have a veto on any peaceful move the international

06:05 community is taking.

06:07 How do you explain France's position?

06:10 I really, as I said, it's double standards.

06:15 We have to be clear today.

06:16 This is a moment of truth.

06:19 We have to be coherent with declarations.

06:23 France has to be coherent with its declarations towards preserving the two-state solution.

06:28 To preserve this solution, France has to recognize the state of Palestine.

06:33 That is not yet done by France.

06:37 Ambassador Hasira, many thanks for being with us here on France 24.

06:41 Thank you.

06:43 Stay with us.

06:44 There's much more to come.

06:45 Next, we'll be going to Cannes.

06:46 The film festival now is more than a week on.

06:49 They're starting to talk about the early favorites.

06:51 That's next.

06:51 [music]

Category

Transcript

Recommended