KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem speaks as Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait Rami Tahboub looks on during a protest held at Palestinian Embassy in Bayan yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: The Palestinian Embassy held a protest yesterday at its premises in Bayan on the 70th anniversary of the Nakba in Palestine in 1948 and coinciding with the implementation of the decision of US President Donald Trump to transfer the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The Palestinian Embassy called on all those who support the right of the Palestinian people to the land and eternal capital of the occupied city of Jerusalem and all those who love peace and justice to protest at the embassy.

Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait Rami Tahboub said: "The United States participated in the killing of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip on Monday when it opened its embassy. For us, this is the first American settlement outpost in Palestine." He added that the US is financially involved in supporting settlement construction, but now it officially opened its outpost in Jerusalem.

"It was clear to the entire world that the media campaign by US and Israel proved that their claims are false and they have no right to Palestine and Jerusalem in particular. In their speeches yesterday, they wanted to prove falsehood as truth - they told a lie and believed it. As for the Palestinians, it is only ink on paper and does not mean anything to us. Jerusalem is the capital of the eternal state of Palestine. In their speeches they said Israel has sovereignty over Jerusalem and everything in it, where they meant jurisdiction over Islamic and Christian holy sites. We say that they did not and will not have jurisdiction over Jerusalem. The crime that took place yesterday calls for us to stand together and unite," Tahboub said. He thanked South Africa, Turkey, France and others for their honorable attitude towards the issue of Palestine.

National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem said: "Today's speech does not represent my personal point of view but represents that of the entire Kuwaiti National Assembly, which in turn represents all the Kuwaiti people. Today, a clear decision was issued at the Assembly on the Palestinian cause, and it was voted on unanimously without any objection from any member of parliament."

"Some may ask about the benefit of condemnation and denunciation. I say this is what the enemy wants - that the transfer of the embassy and daily massacres in Gaza and the rest of Palestine become normalized and we get accustomed to them and there is no reaction. What we do today is not much, but it is very necessary, and sends a clear and strong message. We do what is available to us for the Palestinian cause," Ghanem said.

"I saw a video of an old Palestinian woman in Jerusalem who did not have a weapon or a tank but used the voice of God through the Quran via loudspeakers during the festivities of the opening of the embassy. This is what we should be proud of and what the enemy should know - that we do not fear. The Kuwaiti people always support Palestine like our Amir taught us, and like at the Security Council when our Kuwaiti ambassador said that we are with the Palestinians in whatever they see and want," he noted. The event was attended by many ambassadors, officials and members of parliament, along with the media and supporters.

By Faten Omar