‘Sanctions on Israel only way to stop aggression’

Islamabad: Ambassador of Palestine to Pakistan Zohair Zaid has emphasised that the conflict is rooted not in religion but in dispossession, with Palestine historically a land for Muslims, Christians and Jews alike.

Ambassador Zaid was addressing a roundtable discussion on “The Palestinian question and regional stability: policy imperatives for Pakistan and beyond” convened here by Institute of Regional Studies (IRS).

The ambassador offered a moving account of the Palestinian struggle, saying that Palestine is not just a national issue. It is a land for all believers, Muslims, Christians and Jews. Yet it has been turned into an instrument to divide our region and keep it unstable said.

He drew attention to the human cost of occupation pointing to mass displacement, systematic destruction of villages and continuing settlement expansion.

He stressed that “what threatens Israel most is not our weapons, but our very existence on this land.”

Despite the immense sufferings, he reaffirmed Palestinian resilience.

Zaid concluded with a call for decisive international action: “The world should take practical steps. Put sanctions on Israel. This is the only way that can stop Israeli aggression and bring peace.”

Ex-ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi stated that if Palestine is allowed to die, it will mark a colossal moral and civilisational failure. He argued that US and Israeli policies rendered the two-state solution impossible and asserted that Israel forfeited its legitimacy by threatening the very existence of the indigenous people of the land.