November 29, 2014
The conclave of the Peace &
Solidarity organisations of India and the
World Peace Council held at Goa from
28th to 29th November, 2014 after
thorough deliberations and taking stock
of the United Nations stand
towards the establishment of an
independent, democratic, contiguous and
viable Palestinian State living side by
side in peace with a secure Israel
expresses its unflinching solidarity
with the Palestinian people in their quest
and struggle for justice, peace and an
independent Palestine State.
The Goa Declaration recalls with pride
the great legacy and heritage of
India’s non-violent national
independence movement. India has historically
supported the right of Palestinian
people to their own state. It was among
the first non-Arab nations to recognise
the Palestine Liberation
Organisation (PLO) in 1974 and the
first non-Arab country to recognise
Palestine as an independent state in
1988. India has always opposed the
continued illegal occupation of West
Bank and Gaza.
| For the last four decades, Israel continues to occupy the West Bank in total |
| disregard of United Nations resolutions and condemnation of its policies on |
| Palestine. The Palestinians, who were 70% of the population in 1948 were |
| confined to 27% of the area in Gaza and West Bank after the Arab-Israeli |
| war in 1948. Now, even this small part of Palestinian territory is broken up |
| into small, non-contiguous parts cut off by walls, fences and Jewish |
| settlements. More than 400,000 Jewish settlers are now in West Bank |
changing the demographic composition of
the occupied territory by the
occupying power. Palestinians would be
left with only 12% of original
Palestine. Further, Israel today
controls virtually all entries and exits,
denies right to a seaport and controls
the airspace. Israel has converted
Gaza into an open air prison where a
densely populated Palestinian
population are denied access to the
outside world. People are starved,
brutalised and a barbarous blockade is
imposed on the people of Gaza.
Israeli attacks has resulted in death
of thousands of people including
women and children.
The Goa Declaration calls for:
- India to review its military ties with Israel.
- Through the armspurchase, India is providing a direct subsidy to the Israeli armsindustry and the forces which have occupied the territories in grossdisrespect of international law and United Nations directives.
- India should not be a party to any measure which provides physical support to the illegal occupation.
- Normalising of relations with Israel should not be viewed or result in support to Israeli’s occupation of Palestine.
- Government of India should take the bold initiative to end the occupation of Palestine and allow Palestine to have their own sovereign state with the pre-1967 borders and Jerusalem as its capital.
- India should take the lead in mobilising the non-aligned movement and international opinion on Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza.
- The people of India hold freedom, democracy and peace as esteemed values.
- Hence, the Goa Declaration appeals to the people of India to redouble the solidarity with the people of Palestine in their quest for just peace and independent state.
ALL INDIA PEACE & SOLIDARITY
ORGANISATION
WORLD PEACE COUNCIL
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