Madame Chair; Distinguished Ambassadors; Excellencies;
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I would like to start by thanking the organisers of this gathering on the occasion of the annual International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which commemorates the Palestinian cause, and sends the symbolic message to the Palestinian people that the world has not forgotten their plight. The urgency of a solution to this crisis is not lost on us, having in 2008 marked the 60th anniversary of the Nakba.
On behalf of the family of OFID, the OPEC Fund for International Development, we wish the people of Palestine well this year and in the years to come, as they continue to look forward to the day they would have a sovereign independent state of their own.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Ambassador Zuheir Elwazer (Palestine) recently put a question to me: Suleiman, he asked, what does the year 1948 mean to you?
Well, when I think of Palestine, my mind, indeed, often goes back to 1948. At that time, I was a little boy about to start elementary school in my native Saudi Arabia, enjoying the comforts of a secure home. Of that home, it is the memory of my mother and her love and care which is engraved in my mind. Particularly as I was her only son. I am not sure I realized that at the very same time that I was living this carefree childhood, children in nearby Palestine were made to leave their schools, their playgrounds, their homes. Indeed, there, a whole population was being uprooted, having to leave everything behind – the only remainder of their homes being their keys which many are still holding on to.
Childhood memories fade rather quickly, but sometimes, there are events that are difficult to forget. The memory of fleeing Palestinians is one I have carried with me over the years. It is sad that this imagery is still with us today.
So, let me pose the question to you, what does the year 1948 mean to you? In response to that question, Fouad Ajami’s review of the book “A Peace to end all Peace” by David Fromkin comes to mind. The book is a detailed account of the events and the decision-making process which led to the current situation in the Middle East. He called it “an epic tale of ruin and disillusion...of great men, their large deeds and even larger follies“. In our present context, and if I may expand on Ajami’s quote, I think he meant that the „great men“ would be the United Nations and the superpowers of the time, the „large deeds“ would be their ending one disaster, namely the Jewish Diaspora. Finally, and more relevantly, their „even greater follies“ are the very reason we find ourselves here today: the creation of the Palestinian Diaspora.
Between 1948 and today, several negotiation initiatives and attempts at peace have been launched by an increasing number of parties, including the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, the Arab League, and individual countries. And yet, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Indeed, I have observed that, every time the Palestinian people are given a hope for change, they see the land allocated to them diminish. It is no secret that the people of Palestine are suffering. It is no secret that the most basic of needs are lacking across the territory. We read of the shortage of healthcare; the scarcity of food; and the near absence of education and job opportunities, both on the West Bank and in Gaza. We see millions of children growing up without hope; even hope for change. These children and their families are the face of the Diaspora, scattered across 59 miserable refugee camps located in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere, instead of having a place to call home.
In one of his many works about his homeland, the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish describes his longing for his mother’s bread, her coffee, her touch. I wonder what he would be saying if he were still with us today, seeing mothers who – while never running out of their touch - have run out of even the simple things like bread and coffee.
Madame Chair; Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen:
At OFID - as in much of the rest of the world - our hope is that sooner, rather than later, these refugee camps will be a thing of the past. Our hope is that the international community, uniting against poverty, injustice and hardship, will continue to work towards the establishment a Palestinian State.
Over the years, as some here are aware, OFID has worked closely with relevant, global aid institutions to bring relief to the people of Palestine.
- We have engaged in partnership and cooperation with, and through, established agencies such as UNRWA and several non-governmental organizations - to reach the weak and suffering. Indeed, the beginning of cooperation between OFID and the Palestinian people dates back to 1979, when OFID extended its very first grant to the territory.
- In 2002, reacting to the severe suffering of the civilian population following the start of the second Intifada in the year 2000, OFID established a Special Grant Account for Palestine.
- In June, 2004, OFID allocated part of this Account to supporting micro finance activities in the West Bank and Gaza; creating a PALFUND (the OPEC Fund Micro Enterprises project for Palestine). The aim essentially has been to contribute to socio-economic development through job creation and income opportunity.
In the particular case of Palestine, sustainable development means more than the provision of food, water, energy and the like. It’s about the survival of a population. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Gaza Strip, where the population is subjected to new and severe closures. These are preventing the population from accessing essential goods, such as food, fuel and medical supplies.
On this note, I am pleased to announce that just yesterday, the OFID Management has approved an emergency grant of US$ 3 million, for the provision of essential food supplies and medicines to the population in the Gaza Strip.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
All of us here have at least one thing in common: the desire to see the Palestinian people’s right to an independent and sovereign State made a reality. Until then, I would like to join my friends and colleagues worldwide, who on this occasion reiterate their support and assistance to the Palestinian people.
In conclusion, I hope that next year I will be standing here, telling you about how OFID’s relationship with Palestine has evolved from the mere provision of emergency assistance, to that of long-term development support of a viable, independent and sovereign Palestinian State. This would be the real change which would affect the whole region and provide solutions to its problems. As I am delivering this statement, it is approaching midday now in Washington D.C., I hope we can hear someone respond “Yes we can!”
Thank you.