"

Under the auspices of His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, Al-Quds Open University and the International Academic Campaign Against the Israeli Occupation and Apartheid, in cooperation with the Popular Committee to Resist the Wall and Settlements, held on Monday, November 29-2021, an international scientific conference titled “Self-Liberation of the Palestinians” ...Producing Resistance Knowledge".

His Excellency, Mahmoud Abbas in his opening speech emphasized the support for all peaceful popular resistance initiatives in Palestinian villages, cities and camps, which are achieving continuous successes on the road to confronting settlement and displacement projects.

His Excellency called on the international community to exert pressure on occupation government to abide by the signed agreements, and to allow elections to be held in East Jerusalem, as in previous elections.

Minister Walid Assaf, Head of the Popular Committee to Resist the Wall and Settlements, pointed out that "the models of popular resistance have proven their effectiveness several times in confronting the occupier's policy of Judaization. This was evident during the occupation's attempt to install gates in Jerusalem, the plan to demolish Sheikh Jarrah, and settlement plans in Jabal Sabih in Beita, Khan al-Ahmar, the E1 area and Masafer Yatta.”.

Prof. Younes Amr, the President of Al-Quds Open University thanked President Mahmoud Abbas, for his support, sponsorship of this conference, and for presenting an award in his name to support academic diplomacy in support of Palestinian rights for (33) academics. Prof. Amr thanked the researchers and the preparatory and scientific committee for taking part in the conference.

For his part, Dr. Ramzy Odeh, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Conference and Secretary General of the International Academic Campaign Against Israeli Occupation and Apartheid said: "On this day, world academics contribute to organizing this conference and highlighting the role of resistance knowledge, by focusing on the experiences of popular resistance in Palestine and the world in order to defeat the Zionist settlement project”.  Odeh  added: "In this conference, we present a model for contributing to the achievement of justice for our cause, and if justice is achieved, the whole world will enjoy security, stability and peace. We worked hard over four months to make this conference a success. The conference will be held over two sessions: today, and on the fifteenth of next May, representing all our people in the homeland and the diaspora, to expand global participation in commemorating this day.”

 

For his part, His Excellency the Chinese Ambassador to Palestine Mr. Guo Wei said: "I am pleased to take part in the activities of this conference on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, to highlight that the Palestinian cause is the core of Middle East issues." He added, "China advocates a just solution to the Palestinian issue and achieving peaceful cooperation, adheres to the long-standing goal of regional stability, and meets the common aspirations of peace-loving countries and peoples that defend justice."

For his part, the Deputy Ambassador, to South African Representation in Palestine, Mr. Lisiba Machaba, said: "We are happy to participate in this conference, and we support the popular resistance in Palestine, and we reject the apartheid regime practiced by the Israeli occupation, and it will fall as it did in our country, South Africa ." He added that "South Africa will keep on standing with the Palestinian people to reach their just rights by establishing their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital, and will continue to stand against the Israeli settlement in violation of international law in the Palestinian territories, and it supports all efforts aimed at resuming peace negotiations and achieving peace in accordance with international agreements and covenants."

For his part, Ambassador Roberto Morales, Ambassador of the Republic of Nicaragua to the State of Palestine, said: "We support the rights of the Palestinian people in peaceful popular resistance to reach freedom and independence, and we send you the greetings of our people on the Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People."

He added, "Respecting the international law and international resolutions is the basis for world peace. Nicaragua calls for commitment to international law and the achievement of peace, and East Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Palestine."

Conference sessions:

The conference consisted of two sessions: The first came under the title "Experiences of Popular Resistance in Palestine", headed by Ms. Palestine Hajjeh.

As for the second session, it was entitled: "Popular Resistance as a Theoretical Framework in the Field of Knowledge in Palestine", and was chaired by Dr. Saniya Al-Husseini,

 Recommendations:

The participants in the conference called on the Palestinian people in their places of residence to stand by our brothers in occupied Jerusalem and support them in facing the Judaization of the city and the desecration of Islamic and Christian sanctities, by traveling to it. They also called for strengthening cooperation and communication with the popular resistance and the international solidarity committees with the Palestinian people. They called on the international community, companies, universities and various sectors of the international community to impose sanctions on occupation; to force it to end as it endangers international peace and security.

The participants called on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities related to ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, stopping apartheid and annexation processes, and providing international protection for Palestinian civilians and academic institutions.

The recommendations also emphasized the right of return and self-determination for the Palestinian people and the importance of stopping normalization processes with the Israeli occupation state.

The participants called on popular and official institutions to participate in the popular resistance in their places of existence, so that it becomes a reality and a general approach for the Palestinian people.

The participants also called on university institutions to study the models of popular resistance socially, psychologically and economically, and to highlight their strengths and weaknesses.

Al-Quds Open University and the International Academic Campaign against the Israeli Occupation and Apartheid affirmed their continued commitment to annually commemorating the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.