Interview with George Galloway- British MP and Head of the Respect Party

 Thursday 15 November 2007, 03:25 PM

British Member of Parliament George Galloway warns that Al Quds is in danger. The head of the Respect party says that Palestinian-Palestinian negotiations are vital before Palestinians negotiate with anybody else.

Q: Would you please comment on what is currently taking place in Al Quds, in terms of the excavation process and the judaization of the city?

A: The character of Jerusalem as a center of three faiths is being undermined physically by the excavation process, morally by the violence of the occupation of Jerusalem, and materially by the extent to which Palestinians are being ethnically cleansed by hunger and poverty under the siege. One of the things we are doing here in this forum is to raise the alarm that Jerusalem is in danger. The whole Palestinian cause is in danger.  The danger is continued with the violent occupation, the division of the Palestinian people and the silence of some and the treason of others in the Arab and Muslim world. If we are not careful, Jerusalem will be finally lost.

Q: What do you think should be done to eliminate the danger? What do you call upon the international community to do?

A: Leave the international community to later. The need for Palestinian-Palestinian negotiations is vital. Before negotiations with anybody else, the Palestinians need to negotiate with themselves. Secondly, the Arabs have to withdraw from this farce in Annapolis. This farce is at best meaningless and at worst another festival of treason, like Camp David. How can it be that the Palestinians are actually starving when there are 1.7 billion Muslims in the world? How can the Palestinians be eating from garbage in Gaza? The Muslim world has the men and women, the money, and the power.

Q: Why did you say that we should leave the international community to later?

A: Because if the Arabs and Muslims are doing nothing, why should the international community? There are many nations who disappeared and are now in the museum. If the Arabs and Muslims are not united to free Palestine, why should the Belgian and Dutch be? The individual citizens of the world can protect Al Quds, but the governments of the so-called international community are following the American Israeli line, because this is in their interest.

Q: What can the people do when they are being oppressed by their governments and they don’t have a say?
 

A: If the Iranian people had been so fatalistic, the Shah of Persia would still be in power. But the Iranians chose to pay the price of freedom. If Hezbollah had been so fatalistic, Israel would still be occupying south Lebanon.
 

Q: What do you expect from this conference?

A: It is quite a significant conference. First, it is almost a 100 years since the Turkish and Arab worlds were cut. Second, you can tell by the attendance here how important the Arabs feel about renewing the bond. You can tell from the huge crowd how dear to the heart Jerusalem is. Third, because we are in a moment of real danger, this is our answer to Annapolis, to the weakness and division, and we have made a very good start. It is very important also the number of Christian clerics here and the presence of the Sayid Muhtashimi.