Zionist Genocide: Unwavering Resistance of the Palestinians, 36 Years After the Proclamation of Their State in Algiers

ALGIERS – The Palestinian people will celebrate on Friday the 36th anniversary of the proclamation of the State of Palestine from Algerian soil, in a context marked by the ongoing Zionist occupation exacerbated by the ongoing genocide in Gaza. At this moment, the Palestinian cause remains strongly supported by peace-loving countries, including Algeria, which continues to fervently defend this central issue to this day.

On November 15, 1988, at the Palais des Nations in Algiers, the late leader Yasser Arafat proclaimed, in his famous speech before the National Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the establishment of the State of Palestine. “In the name of Allah and on behalf of the Palestinian Arab people, I proclaim the establishment of the State of Palestine on our Palestinian land, with Al-Quds Al-Charif as its capital,” declared the historical leader Yasser Arafat.

The document of the Declaration, known as the “Declaration of Independence,” called for the continuation of the struggle to end Zionist occupation and consolidate sovereignty and independence. It also included a call to the sons of the Arab nation to assist Palestine in completing the effective establishment of its state.

The Algiers Declaration also emphasized that Palestine “is a peace-loving state, committed to the principles of peaceful coexistence. It will cooperate with all states and peoples of the world to establish lasting peace and believes in the peaceful resolution of international and regional problems.”

Among the achievements of this Declaration is the recognition of the Palestinian state by over a hundred countries worldwide. Algeria is the first country in the world to recognize the Palestinian state and officially established full diplomatic relations with Palestine on December 18, 1988.

The number of countries recognizing the Palestinian state has been steadily increasing, especially since the onset of the genocidal Zionist aggression on October 7, 2023, against the Gaza Strip, reaching today 143 states.

Alongside this diplomatic victory for the Palestinian cause, the Palestinian people have faced, since October 2023, a genocidal war waged by the occupying entity against the civilians of the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, aimed at “liquidating” their existence.

This barbaric aggression, described as a “war of genocide and crimes against humanity,” was launched in retaliation for the “Deluge of Al-Aqsa” operation carried out by the Palestinian resistance in response to the crimes and violations of the occupation. It continues relentlessly in the Palestinian territories, Gaza, and the West Bank, resulting in over 43,000 martyrs and more than 100,000 wounded, mostly women and children, as well as massive destruction of infrastructure, leading to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.

Algeria’s Constant and Ongoing Support for the Palestinian People

Since the proclamation of the State of Palestine to this day, Algeria has continued the diplomatic battle on all fronts and in international forums to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank, and to put an end to Zionist violations in various forms in the occupied holy city of Al-Quds, with a view to obtaining full UN membership and greater recognition from countries that have not yet taken this step.

Faithful to its position fervently defending the Palestinian cause, Algeria, under the leadership of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has worked since the beginning of its term on the UN Security Council in January 2024, as a non-permanent member, to keep the spotlight constantly on this central issue by convening numerous meetings within this UN body to discuss the situation in occupied Palestine, particularly in Gaza.

To this end, Algeria has proposed several draft resolutions to the Security Council to achieve a permanent and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, thereby putting an end to the suffering of the Gazan population. Unfortunately, the United States has blocked several of these initiatives using its veto power, except for the one in March, namely Resolution 2728, which was adopted and received 14 votes, with Washington abstaining.

In addition to its ongoing fight at the UN for a ceasefire in Gaza, Algeria has repeatedly expressed its determination to continue its necessary efforts in favor of the Palestinian issue and to ensure that the State of Palestine becomes a full member of the United Nations. This comes after the President of the Republic gave firm instructions for the defense of the Palestinian cause to be an “absolute priority” for Algeria on the Security Council since it became a non-permanent member.

In this context, last month, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, Ahmed Attaf, affirmed during Diplomacy Day that “Algeria will continue to demand meetings and initiatives for the Security Council and the UN General Assembly to assume their responsibility towards the Palestinian people and all countries and peoples in the region facing Zionist aggression.”

Last Monday, the President of the Republic, in a message read on his behalf by Mr. Attaf during the Arab-Islamic summit held in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), emphasized Algeria’s commitment to “respond positively to the request made by the Arab-Islamic Summit for the revival of the issue of the admission of the State of Palestine as a full member of the UN.”

APS