REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Speaking about how to draw huge support for Palestine is different from one to another country. When talking about supporting Palestine, George Galloway said, Indonesia was nervous about its relationship with the US.
“I’m not asking you to break with the USA. Erdogan (the Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan –ed) didn’t break with the USA. He is the key ally of the USA and Turkey still a member of NATO. In fact, he was bombing for NATO (in Libya –ed). After the Davos, Mavimarmara, Turkey is standing in the East. At least, Indonesia could be like Erdogan, no? Indonesia could have the same attitude to the Palestinians and to Israel as Turkey has. It will put you in popularity in a broader Islamic world,” he said.
Galloway continued, “One common treat as I identify, that we should insist upon is to emphasize the right of return. That is the reason eternal, legal, and moral right of any refugee anywhere, to return to their homes. Blair (former British prime minister, Tony Blair -ed) said so in Kosovo. Blair walked among thousands tents of Kosovo refugees, and he declared exactly this and I’m quoting him directly: eternal, legal, and moral rights of all refugees to return to their homes –unless the Palestinians.”
People have an obligation to insist upon because for not only human rights reasons but also tactical one. “There cannot be solution without the right to return,” he added.
“ I’ve been just in Beirut, Lebanon. There are more than a half million Palestinian refugees living in the most atrocious camps, subject to total discrimination in every level, jobs, health, education, and so on. The people of Palestine in Lebanon are not allowed to own property or to rent property. They have to live in a camp. And because of that, they are not allowed to use the hospital, school, to work in 49 different occupations. So if this right to return is not excepted, what happens to these a half of million refugees for another 60 years? Indonesia can do something to emphasize this.”
Note:
George Galloway (born 16 August 1954), a founder of the worldwide Viva Palestina movement, visits Indonesia from January 23 to February 3. This is a two week speaking tour of the Far East in support of the Right of Return of all Palestinians whose families were driven from the country by the Catastrophe of 1948 and subsequently.
During his tour, the British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1987 to 2010, makes an effort to visit Republika on January 26. He shares his ideas on Palestine during his short yet fruitful visit. And this report is a series articles based on our interview with Galloway.
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