‘Palestine exists, it has always existed and it always will’: Palestine’s ambassador to UK
Palestine’s Ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot has spoken before a crowd in front of the Palestine Mission in central London to mark its transition to becoming Palestine’s embassy in the country.
“We are gathered today in front of the Palestinian Mission to the UK here in London to mark a historic moment,” said Zomlot. “In the same capital of the Balfour Declaration, after more than a century of ongoing denial, dispossession and erasure, the UK government has finally taken the long overdue step of recognising the state of Palestine.”
Holding up a plaque, he said, to cheers from the crowd: “Very soon, pending some legal work, some bureaucratic work … this plaque, which reads ‘The Embassy of the State of Palestine’ … will be placed right behind me on this building.”
He said the moment was “not only about Palestine, it is also about Britain and the British government’s solemn responsibility”.
“It is about ending the denial of the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to freedom and self-determination and it is an acknowledgement of a historic injustice,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen, Palestine exists, it has always existed and it always will.”
He called on people to remember “that this recognition comes at a time of unimaginable pain and suffering as a genocide is being waged against us – a genocide that is still being denied and allowed to continue with impunity”.
He continued: “It comes as our people in Gaza are being starved, bombed, and buried under the rubble of their homes; as our people in the West Bank are being ethnically cleansed, brutalised by daily state-sponsored terrorism, land theft and suffocating oppression.”
Zomlot said the recognition was occurring “as the humanity of Palestinian people is still questioned, our lives still treated as disposable and our basic freedoms still denied”.
“Yet, this moment stands as a defiant act of truth, a refusal to let genocide be the final word; a refusal to accept that occupation is permanent; a refusal to be erased and a refusal to be dehumanised,” he concluded.
Palestinian flag raised outside embassy in London
The Palestinian flag has been raised outside the premises of what is now Palestine’s embassy to the UK in central London, marking Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian state.
The flag-raising followed a speech by Palestine’s ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, outside what was previously the Palestine Mission to the UK.
“Please join me as we raise the flag of Palestine with its colours representing our nation: Black for our mourning, white for our hope, green for our land and red for the sacrifices of our people,” said Zomlot.
“We raise it in honour of the long journey of the Palestinian people towards freedom and justice and in honour of the millions of freedom-loving people in Britain and around the world.”
He continued: “We raise it as a pledge that Palestine will live, Palestine will rise and Palestine will be free.”
The Palestinian flag is raised outside Palestine’s embassy in central London
