Maldives has called on the international community "to recognize the legitimacy of their grievances and their right to a homeland".
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih made the call via Twitter on Monday, to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which is marked annually on November 29.
The president added that Maldives "stands with the people of Palestine in their quest for dignity and statehood".
Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid, also via Twitter, said that "Peace in Palestine is integral to stability and prosperity in the Middle East".
Shahid also reaffirmed Maldives “unwavering” support and solidarity to the people of Palestine and their struggle.
Palestine Non-Resident Ambassador to Maldives, Walid A. M. Abuali, responded to the minister's tweet, saying that they are grateful for Maldives support and solidarity.
He further expressed confidence that they “will pray together in Al Aqsa one day”; al Aqsa is located in a highly sensitive area which has been a flashpoint in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
The International Day of Solidarity reminds the world that the question of Palestine remains unresolved and that the Palestinian people are still waiting for the fulfilment of their national, civil and human rights.
The date was chosen by the United Nations (UN) in 1977 as it was on 29 November 1947 that the General Assembly adopted Resolution 181, the UN Partition Plan for Palestine.
In his message to commemorate the day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to explore every opening to “restore hope” for a two-State solution.
The UN chief also cautioned that prospects for a viable two-State solution are becoming “more distant”.
While Maldives has stood in support of the Palestine people at international gatherings, with the foreign minister noting that the aspirations of the Maldivian people for a peaceful Middle East “is tied to that of the people of Palestine” at the 47th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held this past weekend.
A special envoy of the Palestinian President Dr. Mahmoud Abbas visited the Maldives in October 2019, and thanked President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for standing up for Palestinians' aspiration for statehood at the 74th United Nations General Assembly held that year.
“Never before has the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people been so acutely and blatantly dismissed by Israel, marginalised and discriminated against, in complete disregard of international law, and the resolutions of both the General Assembly and the Security Council. We are strongly of the view that a lasting peace in the Middle East can only come to fruition, through a two-state solution driven by genuine and meaningful dialogue between the Arab countries and Israel. We call on the United Nations, and its Member States to undertake every effort to work towards a settlement that would achieve this result. The Maldives will always stand unwavering in its support for the Palestinians, in their endeavor to achieve an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its Capital City.”President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, at the 74th United Nations General Assembly in 2019
