Kuwait calls on world to help Palestinians

The State of Kuwait has appealed to the international community to pursue efforts and pressure on Israel to coerce Tel Aviv to allow the Palestinian people to attain their rights, namely the right to self-determination and establishment of an independent state. Turki Al-Dihani, member of Kuwait's permanent mission at the UN, criticized Israel's practices in the occupied Palestinian territories, namely establishment of separate legal systems and institutions for Jewish communities in illegitimate settlements and Palestinian natives living under occupation. The Palestinians are deprived of equal rights with the Jews to use roads, water supplies and other utilities, said Al-Dihani, addressing the UN economic committee during the 68th session of the General Assembly. Israel controls the Palestinians' water, using 89 percent of the resources and leaving only 11 percent for the Palestinians, said Al-Dihani during the session, themed "permanent sovereignty for the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories including East Jerusalem," held late on Wednesday. "The Israelis' continuous violations in the occupied territories, repressive, random and inhumane attacks against the Palestinian people and their social and economic potentials constitute a flagrant example of the occupation authority breach of the international laws, covenants, international human rights documents and treaties in addition to their blockade of the Palestinian economy," the Kuwaiti diplomat said. Al-Dihani added that such Israeli practices are designed to alter the demographic status of the occupied territories and signal Tel Aviv's lack of seriousness to cooperate with the world to establish peace in the Middle East. Citing as a tangible example affirming this Israeli approach, Al-Dihani indicated that Tel Aviv continued to build and expand settlements. Israel is building 28,000 news settlements to house some 103,000 settlers, in breach of many international laws. He affirmed Kuwait's support for all UN resolutions that support the Palestinian sovereignty on their territories including East Jerusalem. Source: KUNA