The League of Parliamentarians for al-Quds (LP4Q) last Sunday, held a meeting with the Regional Association of Latin American countries, at which more than 30 parliamentarians from the continent participated in a discussion on ways to support the Palestinian cause and to oppose “the deal of the century” and the Israeli plan to annex territories from the West Bank and the Jordan Valley.

LP4Q’s President, Sheikh Hamid bin Abdullah Al-Ahmar, in his opening speech called upon Latin American parliamentarians, to form pressure groups to raise alarm that the annexation plan and deal of the century would end all hope for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Sheikh Al Ahmar said that the plan reflects the “death of international law” in light of international inaction and shameful silence.

Al-Ahmar stressed that parliaments need to mobilize legal support, to pursue war criminals on the basis of domestic and international laws, and to engage with governments and decision-makers to enforce obligations arising out of these laws . He praised the statement of the Mexican parliament, which rejected the plan and called for compliance with international resolutions.

For his part, Dr. Mohammad Makram Balawi, LP4Q’s General Director, said that there is a need to work with parliamentarians in Latin America to enact legislation that would transform sympathy with the Palestinian cause into legal and parliamentary action, that would pressure the Israeli occupation and require it to abide by international law.

Balawi affirmed that the LP4Q considers itself in “an open and continuous battle” with those parties which support the occupation, and consequently requires that every effort be mobilised to coordinate with legal and fraternal organizations of the Palestinian people, to enhance awareness of the facts and expose Israeli practices.

He added that LP4Q launched an international campaign to collect signatures through a representatives memorandum, which opposes the Israeli occupation’s project to annex lands from the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, explaining that the association would work to collect signatures from the world’s parliamentarians.

For his part, Nilto Tatto (PT), an MP in The Federal Brazilian Senate, demanded the Israeli occupation immediately release Palestinian deputies of the Palestinian Legislation Council (PLC) who are detained in Israel’s prisons, and to form a global parliamentary campaign to support them and stop the Israeli attacks against the Palestinian people.

He pointed out that Brazil cancelled its foreign policy that supports the rights of peoples in determining their fate, especially the Palestinian people, because of “the dominance of the Zionist lobbies in the decision-making institutions”, and also called for a special meeting of parliamentarians to support the Palestinian cause and to respond to the Zionist lobbies.

Ahmed Madi, the director of the Palestinian Latin Forum, suggested the formation of a continental parliamentary forum in Latin America in support of the Palestinian struggle to obtain their freedom and rights.

For his part, Ecuadorian Assemblyman, Byron Valle said, based on long-standing public support of the Palestinian cause in Latin American parliaments, that pressure be brought on decision-makers and governments to boycott the Israeli occupation, stressing the need for parliaments to resist US policies and pressures in support of the Israeli occupation.

For his part, the Guatemalan MP, Enrique Alvarez, pointed out that Latin America lacks sufficient information about the Israeli aggressions, attacks by settlers and policies, due to media bias towards Zionism, stressing that the West Bank and the Jordan Valley are Palestinian lands, and people must oppose all plans aimed at changing that reality.

The MP of the Communal Commission of the National Constituent Assembly in Venezuela, Julio Chavez has called on parliamentarians to visit the Palestinian territories to confront Israeli racism and to ensure that the truth is disseminated to the public and parliaments. He also called for a declaration on the establishment of the Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders and recognizing Jerusalem as its capital without fear or reluctance.

Meanwhile, Sergio Arturo Castellanos, deputy of the National Congress of Honduras pointed out the importance of recognising LP4Q as a platform that serve as the voice of the Palestinian cause and to promote the boycott of settlement goods in Latin American parliaments. He expressed his surprise that “Zionist racism in Palestnian territories was ignored be international institutions.”

He concluded by saying: “There is no comfort for world’s parliaments without ending the suffering of the Palestinian people, and obtaining their rights,” adding that “the current Israeli policies in the Palestinian territories are similar to the Nazi policies.”