RAMALLAH, June 21, 2012 (WAFA) – British Consul General in Jerusalem Vincent Fean said on Wednesday that the division between the West Bank and Gaza Strip must end for the good of the Palestinian people.
Speaking to guests at a Ramallah celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, Fean said that the Palestinian Olympic and Paralympic athletes who will participate in the London Olympic Games that will start on July 27 have set an example of unity.
“The Palestinian Olympic and Paralympic athletes have overcome serious challenges to take part in the London games,” he said. “They have set a great example of unity of purpose, surmounting the division between the West Bank and Gaza – a division which needs to end, soon, for the good of the Palestinian people and to bring peace nearer.”
Fean said that Palestine will be present at both events and that “the Palestinian flag will be carried, with pride” at the games.
He said, “There, Palestinians will compete against every other nation – competing in friendship, in sport.”
Fean said that at the request of the British consulate the governor and mayor of Ramallah have agreed to show the Olympic opening ceremony live on big screen in the heart of Ramallah on the evening of July 27.
The British official praised British-Palestinian relations, which he said was strengthened even further when President Mahmoud Abbas visited the United Kingdom in January.
“The British Government strongly supports the two-state solution, and sees the work of the Palestinian Authority as the greatest achievement of the Palestinian people in recent times,” said Fean.
“We seek to sustain and strengthen it by every means, including through the work of our partners from the Department for International Development (DFID), seeking to help Palestinian state building, helping the most vulnerable in Palestinian society, helping Palestinian business to grow despite the obstacles,” he added.
He said DFID, with help from the Office of the Quartet Representative, succeeded in facilitating the export of 4,000 textile garments from Gaza to the United Kingdom.
“But the real need remains to secure the resumption of trade between Gaza and the West Bank, and between Gaza and Israel itself. We shall continue to work for that, with our European Union partners,” added Fean.
Speaking few words in Arabic, Fean stressed the importance of East Jerusalem as capital of the future Palestinian state. He reiterated statements made by British Foreign Secretary William Hague who told his Israeli counterpart in London last month that construction of illegal settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank harms Israel’s reputation and undermine the two-state solution.
He said that while standing here in Ramallah, he thinks of the suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as the coastal enclave is being pounded by Israeli airstrikes for the last several days that left at least nine Palestinians dead.
Loss of life is very tragic, but the death of a child is a disaster, he said, urging the Palestinians in Gaza and Israel to show restraint and uphold a ceasefire agreement.
Speaking at the same occasion, Abbas’ representative Majdi Khalidi thanked Britain for its support for the Palestinian people, stressing the importance of flying the Palestinian flag at the Olympic Games alongside other nations.
The ceremony was attended by number government officials, the governor of Ramallah Laila Ghannam, members of Fatah Central Committee and Revolutionary Council as well as heads of the security forces.
M.S.
