This year when the United Nations observed the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on November 29^th, Global Ministries’ transitional executive Peter Makari was the one person from civil society invited to address the assembled gathering of ambassadors, delegates and guests. Peter described his invitation to offer remarks as “an affirmation of the work of churches and the faith community to support justice and peace for the Palestinians.” A 1977 General Assembly resolution 32/40B designated the date of November 29 for this now annual observance. Why November 29^th? Because on that date in 1947, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 181, the “Partition Resolution,” thereby establishing in Palestine a ”Jewish State” and an “Arab State,” with Jerusalem, corpus separatum, to be administered under a special international regime. 

That fateful decision launched the Nakba, 75 years of Palestinian suffering, and the through line to Israel’s current genocidal assault on Gaza and escalating military and settler violence in the West Bank,. As Peter said in his remarks, “These past several weeks have confirmed once again the willful blindness of the major world powers to the suffering of the Palestinian people, while at the same time providing ample evidence – as if any more is needed – of the absolute necessity, once and for all, to address the core issues at stake to affirm the rights of the Palestinian people to a life with dignity, to live free of occupation, to participate fully and equally in determining their future, and for those scattered as refugees to enjoy the rights accorded to them in international law and UN resolutions.”

You can watch the video of Peter’s powerful and prophetic remarks here. He is the final speaker, towards the end of the session, beginning just past 1 hour and 38 minutes. To read the full text of Peter's remarks, go here.