NEW YORK: Kuwait on Monday called to support the Palestinian people right to choose, including the right for a comprehensive settlement in accordance with the two-state solution and international resolutions, mainly their rights for an independent state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem being its capital. The statement by the Kuwaiti UN delegation was delivered by diplomatic attache Shahad Al-Munifi ahead of the Third Committee of the General Assembly under the topic “Hate Speech”.

“It is difficult for us to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, while the occupying (Zionist) entity continues to direct systematic hate speech against the Palestinian people, describing them as less human and more savage ... not as people with rights who stand by all international legal laws and norms,” Munifi said.

She added we are witnessing a “humanitarian catastrophe primarily as a result of what the brotherly Palestinian people suffer from continuous aggression by the (Zionist) occupation forces and the deprivation of their human and basic rights”, reassuring Kuwait’s stance towards the Palestinian cause. She also pointed out the world today is in dire need to expand the culture of peace and forgiveness between religions, stressing the manifestation of Islamophobia ignites the essence of hate and hostility between people.

Munifi also voiced disquiet for the possibility of such actions being repeated. “Lately we have witnessed a noticeable increase of deliberate and public acts of religious hatred, represented by the repeated desecration of the Holy Quran”, exercised under the right of freedom of expression.

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In closing, she stated Kuwait believes in the necessity of respecting human beings without any kind of discrimination, as all acts of misleading or false information come at a cost. She also called on the people of Kuwait to take serious action to halt such acts of religious hatred and extremist groups who aim “to terrorize the voice of truth and force it to remain silent”.

Meanwhile, two relief aid planes, the eighth in the air bridge efforts for the Gaza Strip, departed Kuwait on Tuesday, heading to Egypt. The aircraft are filled with 50 tons of necessities and supplies. This initiative is in line with the Kuwaiti leadership’s directives and reflects the people’s solemn support to the Palestinian people. Government and non-government entities as well as charities have coordinated their efforts to gather supplies and send much-needed relief aid. On Oct 23, Kuwait began a relief aid mission to help the people of the Gaza Strip, restlessly being bombarded by the Zionist occupation forces.– KUNA