Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh today thanked the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during their meeting in Doha on the sidelines of the Doha Forum for his statements in support of Palestinian rights.
Shtayyeh briefed the Emir of Qatar on the political and economic challenges facing the Palestinian people, thanking the Emir for his remarks at the opening of the Doha Forum during which he noted “the millions of Palestinians who have been suffering from the Israeli occupation and international neglect for more than seven decades,” stressing that ‘the international community has failed to render justice” to the Palestinian and other peoples in the region.
Sheikh Tamim also rejected equating criticizing Israeli policies with anti-Semitism.
“Accusations of anti-Semitism are used wrongly against anyone who criticizes Israeli policies,” he said, adding that it “infringes on the struggle against racism and actual anti-Semitism.”
“Israel is systematically destroying the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state by escalating settlements, seizing land and demolishing homes,” said Shtayyeh during the meeting, explaining that efforts are underway, led by Algeria, “to restore Palestinian unity in order to strengthen the Palestinian front in facing all challenges.”
The Prime Minister also briefed the Emir of Qatar on the difficult financial and economic situation in Palestine, explaining that Israel’s illegal deductions from the tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinians and decline in international aid have rendered the Palestinian Authority unable to fulfill its obligations.
Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)