The Palestinian people have become fully aware of the importance of having an Arab umbrella to protect their legitimate rights to establish an independent state and confront Israel’s attempts to continue driving wedges among them, Palestinian Centre for Research and Studies head Major General Dr Mohammed Al Masri affirmed in an exclusive interview with our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej.
When Arab people take a unified position, they can protect themselves and others, he stressed, adding that Palestinian consensus gives a powerful leverage in supporting the Palestinian cause.
Dr Al Masri emphasised that the Palestinian people deeply appreciate Bahrain’s steadfast positions in support of Palestinian rights. He added that the Gulf countries have become more aware of national and pan-Arab interests and have confronted pressures in support of Arab causes, including mainly the Palestinian one.
Unifying the Palestinian position and preserving the Palestine Liberation Organisation will undoubtedly serve the Palestinian cause and stave off threats to the West Bank, he noted.
Gaza requires approximately $72 billion for reconstruction, which must be carried out by the people of Gaza themselves, taking into account the Strip’s geographic and residential planning, Dr Al Masri emphasised, warning against using reconstruction as a tool of political blackmail by Israel.
The role of Palestinian and Arab think tanks is to preserve national conscience as the real achievement lies in keeping Palestinians rooted on their land – this is the essence of the struggle. It is also essential to keep the Arab collective memory alive and fully aware of the evolving challenges facing the nation’s causes, he said.
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