RAMALLAH: Today marks the 38th anniversary of the declaration of the State of Palestine, proclaimed by late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Algiers on Nov 15, 1988, Palestine News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported.
“In the name of God and in the name of the Palestinian Arab people, the National Council declares the creation of the State of Palestine on our Palestinian land, with noble Jerusalem as its capital,” Arafat announced during a meeting of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s (PLO) parliament-in-exile, held in the Algerian capital.
The Palestinian Declaration of Independence, read by Arafat, was written by renowned Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.
It had previously been adopted by the PNC, the PLO’s legislative body, with 253 votes in favour, 46 against and 10 abstentions.
In April 1989, the PLO Central Council elected Arafat as the first President of the State of Palestine.
The declaration marked a turning point in the history of the Palestinian national liberation movement, as the PLO formally endorsed the two-state solution as a framework for resolving the decades-long conflict.
It also paved the way for widespread Arab, Islamic and international recognition of the State of Palestine.
The Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and statehood has been affirmed in several United Nations General Assembly resolutions.
Resolution 3236 recognises these rights as inalienable, including the right to independence and sovereignty.
Resolution 2649 also reaffirms the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, while Resolution 2672 stresses that respecting their inalienable rights is essential to achieving a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.