CA for establishing independent Palestine state with two-state solution
NN ONLINE:
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today called for establishing an independent State of Palestine following the two-state solution.
“On behalf of the people of Bangladesh and of conscientious citizens across the world, I once again make a strong appeal: the two-state solution must be implemented now, through the establishment of an independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he said. The chief adviser made the call while addressing the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly here in the USA.
Only on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace, can justice be done, he added. “I have always spoken the language of hope. I have never believed in frightening people into action. But today I must depart from that habit, for the truth before us is frightening,” he said.
He went on saying, “I must warn: extreme nationalism, geopolitics that thrive on the suffering of others, and indifference to human pain are destroying the progress of humanity has built through decades of struggle.” Nowhere is this tragedy more visible than in Gaza, he said, adding that children are dying of hunger and civilians are being killed without distinction there.
“Entire neighborhoods, including hospitals and schools, are being wiped out from the map. We do agree with the UN independent international inquiry commission that we are witnessing a genocide happening live. Unfortunately on behalf of humanity we are not doing enough to stop it. If this continues, neither future generations nor history will forgive us,” said Prof Yunus.
In Bangladesh, he said, they believe that they must build a culture of peace, one that rests on the values of tolerance, nonviolence, dialogue, and cooperation at every level of society. For more than three and a half decades, Bangladesh has stood among the leading contributors of the United Nations peacekeepers, he said, adding, “This is living proof of our enduring commitment to global peace and security.”
Even today, the chief adviser said, nearly 6,000 Bangladeshi peacekeepers are serving in some of the world’s most volatile regions under the UN flag, and 168 of their peacekeepers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. He said research has consistently shown that UN peacekeeping missions are more sustainable and effective than unilateral interventions.
“We therefore call for clear and achievable mandates and adequate funding for peacekeeping operations. We must also give the highest priority to the safety of peacekeepers and ensure accountability for crimes committed against them,” Prof Yunus said.
He said Bangladesh also actively promotes multilingualism, both at home and internationally, because it believes that linguistic and cultural diversity deepens mutual understanding. In the twenty-first century, there is no place for hatred, intolerance, racism, xenophobia, or Islamophobia in any society, the chief adviser said.
“Yet today, disinformation and hate speech have become matters of grave concern,” he added. In the aftermath of the last year’s popular uprising in Bangladesh, certain vested groups deliberately spread false narratives, and such disinformation continues even now, he said.
Prof Yunus said the problem has been compounded by the deliberate use of fake news and artificial intelligence–driven “deepfakes,” which make the situation even more dangerous. “We must work together to confront these distortions before they erode trust among people and weaken the bonds of social harmony,” he added.
President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Annalena Baerbock presided over the session.