【明報專訊】The United Nations dedicates November 29 to the Palestinian people, who are still denied their rights to peace, freedom and self-determination.

Brief history of Palestine

Located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea (地中海), Palestine has a sacred significance to people who follow Judaism (猶太教) or Christianity(because it is their birthplace)as well as to those who follow Islam. When WWI ended, Palestine became a British mandated territory. The Holocaust (屠殺猶太人) by Nazi Germany during the Second World War hastened the Zionist movement (aimed at the foundation of a Jewish state), while Arabs there demanded the creation of their own country.

Against this backdrop, the United Nations adopted in 1947 its Resolution 181(II), which was a plan for partitioning Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arabic state. A civil war between Palestinian Jews and Arabs broke out the following year. That prevented the resolution from being implemented. Nevertheless, the Jewish state (Israel) came into existence. But an internationally recognised Arabic state has yet to be founded there.

◆Basic facts

Date: November 29

Year of proclamation: 1977

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly (聯合國大會)

Aim: To focus the international community's attention on the fact that the question of Palestine remains unresolved and that the Palestinian people are yet to attain their inalienable rights as defined by the General Assembly.

◆Current state of Palestinian people

The conditions of the Palestinian people (the Arabs residing in the region designated by the UN as their home) have long been an international issue. These people live in the State of Palestine, a de jure (法律上的) sovereign state, which comprises West Bank (約旦河西岸) and Gaza Strip (加沙地帶), with Eastern Jerusalem as its designated capital.

West Bank is now administered by the Palestinian Authority, and Gaza Strip, by Hamas, considered a terrorist group.

1. Israeli settlements

In Palestine, lives are under constant threat of instability, scarcity, restrictions and warfare. One of the main reasons is the presence of Israeli settlements (以色列殖民區). Throughout the years when Israel occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Israeli government built large numbers of places settled by Jews (Israelis). It keeps doing so in West Bank even though such a practice infringes the UN's resolutions and is thus considered illegal.

The existence of Israeli settlements, together with the presence of Israeli military checkpoints and military forces, greatly restricts Palestinians' daily lives, and they are deprived of freedom of movement.

2. Conflicts with Israel

Military conflicts between Palestine – especially Gaza Strip, which Hamas controls – and Israel are going on. The difference between Israel's military strength and Palestine's is tremendous. Israel has one of the best armies in the world, while Hamas is significantly outgunned. That means it is the Palestinians that suffer most.