Mumbengegwi blasts Western countries for supporting apartheid invasion of Palestine
Staff Writer
ZANU-PF Secretary of External Affairs, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi has criticized Western countries for supporting the apartheid invasion of Palestine by Israel amid concerns that one of the world’s oldest conflicts must come to an end.
He made the remarks Friday while addressing a conference organized by the Zimbabwe Palestine Solidarity Council (ZPSC) held at the Embassy of Palestine in Harare.
The top diplomat, who has served in numerous high level positions at the United Nations, as cabinet minister for numerous portfolios in Zimbabwe including holding fort as Foreign Affairs Minister for over a decade recalled the importance of solidarity as an essential ingredient in any struggle.
“It is even more important for Zimbabwe because we are a product of solidarity. When we embarked on the war of liberation against colonial rule, this key ingredient gave us access to weapons and diplomatic support which enabled us to subdue the enemy.
“So when we gather here we are presenting ourselves as part of solidarity movements to contribute towards the freedom of the Palestinian people.
“The apartheid invasion of Palestine by Israel is a direct result of support being rendered by the imperial powers,” he said.
He scoffed at U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s appeal for an end to resurgent violence and reaffirming Washington’s backing for a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict.
Blinken recently urged calm on both sides after last week’s killing by a Palestinian gunman of seven people outside a Jerusalem synagogue and anger among Palestinians over actions by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank.
He took that message into a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, warning all parties against any action that could threaten a two-state solution, with an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
The two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict envisions an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, west of the Jordan River. The boundary between the two states is still subject to dispute and negotiation, with Palestinian and Arab leadership insisting on the “1967 borders”, which is not accepted by Israel.
“But honestly, how does this work when Israel continues to extend its borders on Palestine territory? It boggles the mind to imagine the number resolutions passed by the UN Security Council against Israel which have been continuously violated.
“All these are double standards confirming that imperial powers are supporting the invasion of Palestine,” said Mumbengegwi.
