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20:05 GMT
CAIRO, Feb 20 (KUNA) -- Senior politicians from the Arab region and beyond agreed on the urgency of scaling up the efforts to promote the culture of peace and put an end to the conflicts in the Middle East particularly in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Speakers at the Third World Forum for the Culture of Just Peace share the same view that the Palestinians in Gaza Strip and the West Bank are undergoing unprecedented genocide at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces.
The Forum, co-organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and Abdulaziz Saud Al Babtain Cultural Foundation, opened on Tuesday under auspices of Egyptian President Abdul-Fattah Al-Sisi and lasts until February 22.
Lebanese former Prime Minister Fouad Seniora (2005 - 2009) said the Arab region faces formidable challenges that require resolute national will to realize the aspirations of the peoples for decent living and development.
"On top of these challenges are the horrible massacres in the occupied Palestinian territories at the hands of the Zionist entity," he said in a speech to the opening session of the forum.
"The turmoil in Palestine is spilling over into neighboring countries, notably Lebanon, which is a compelling reason for the world to unite forces and end the raging conflict," Seniora urged.
He stressed the need of restoring the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, putting an end to external interferences in Lebanon and other countries in the region, and promoting accountability, social reforms and good governance.
On a similar note, former secretary-general of the Arab League Amor Moussa (2001 - 2011) said Palestine question has to do with the security, culture, development and peace in the entire Middle East region.
"Without solving this question, it would be unlikely to achieve lasting peace in the region," he cautioned.
Highlighting the importance of promoting the culture of fair peace, Moussa stressed the need of pooling regional and international efforts to halt the genocidal acts being committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the defenseless Palestinian people.
On the quest for establishing a viable Palestinian state, he said, "This objective must be recognized now without delay and the details could be determined through negotiations."
Commenting on the October 6 attacks by Hamas on Israel, the League's former chief said, "The factual explanation of these incidents is that they were a reaction to the policy of repression, injustice and maltreatment being pursued by Israel against the Palestinian people in the occupied territories."
Moussa urged supporting the Palestinian stance against the current challenges.
Dealing with the cultural threats, he called for helping the cultural institutions play their role in conserving the historical identity and the culture of fair peace and coexistence in the Arab and Muslim communities, particularly the Palestinian one.
"The threats of clash of cultures stem from not only Israel but there are Islamophobic policies in some Asian and European countries as well," he argued.
On his part, Ammar Al-Hakim, head of Iraq's National Wisdom Movement, said the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip and the West Bank undergo a genocide that lacks the least logical justifications.
"This genocide takes place under suspicious silence by the international community, which adds greater impediment to the quest for durable peace and development in the region," he underscored.
Al-Hakim noted that economic development is conditional on protection of human rights, justice, tolerance and coexistence, adding, "Genuine development is unlikely without peace or under occupation."
"The Palestine question is not a dispensable political slogan; it has to do with the loyalty of steadfast Arab and Muslim citizens to their homeland," the Iraqi senior politician added.
On the Arab quest for sustainable development, Al-Hakim commended the Kuwaiti projects for renewable energy and infrastructure, such as the Silk City, which aims to reduce reliance on oil as source national income.
Meanwhile, Turkiye's ex-president Abdullah Gul (2007 - 2014) said today's world is too fragile to enjoy peace; it is far from the culture of peace which is a main prerequisite of development and decent living.
The Middle East needs peace now more than ever, he said, noting that the crises of Iraq and Syria impacted negatively on the entire region until now.
Regarding the atrocities in Gaza Strip, Gul said no human conscience could accept or justify a genocide that claimed more than 30,000 lives, 35 percent of who were children.
"It's high time to put an end to this catastrophe and bring Israel to book," Gul urged.
On his part, Albanian ex-president Ilir Meta (2017 - 2022) said that peace is unattainable without respect for basic human rights, social equality and freedom.
Today's world is marred by wars, conflicts and tragedies not only in Palestine but in several other countries as well, he regretted.
Meta commended the two-state solution as a viable way for solving the Middle East conflict and restoring stability across the region.
Besides wars, the world faces numerous problems such as environment degeneration, global warming, greenhouse emissions and natural disasters which impact negatively on food security and pose serious threat to sustainable development, Meta added.
The speakers at the Forum commended the role of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Cultural Foundation, of Kuwait, in promoting the cultural movement across the Arab world and the rich legacy of late poet Abdulaziz Al-Babtain.
The Forum, themed just peace for development, gathered a galaxy of political top brass, intelligentsia and media celebrities from across the world. (end)
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