Nonviolent protest by Palestinians and their supporters worldwide should form the foundation of a renewed campaign to revive peace negotiations with Israel, Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot said in an interview for the World of Trouble podcast.
Zomlot described mass, society‑wide nonviolent mobilisation as essential, arguing it provides Palestinians with the “moral high ground” and can “drain your occupier of its energy.” His comments come amid declining bipartisan support for Israel in Western countries and rising settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
Zomlot reflected on his upbringing in a Gaza refugee camp and his later move to the UK, while also revisiting what he sees as strategic mistakes by the Palestinian leadership in the 1990s. He criticised the Palestine Liberation Organization’s decision to formally renounce armed resistance during the Oslo process, calling it a concession that was not met with reciprocal recognition of a Palestinian state or borders.
He noted that international law distinguishes between violence and what some legal frameworks define as resistance, referencing a 1973 UN General Assembly resolution that recognised the right of occupied peoples to armed resistance targeting military forces.
Zomlot questioned whether Israel views its presence in the occupied territories as temporary or permanent a central issue, he said, in determining the future of any peace process.
With violence surging in the West Bank and the Palestinian Authority struggling to maintain control, he argued that Palestinians must pursue unity and remain rooted in their land. While he emphasised nonviolent resistance, he said the concept of resistance must be broadened beyond armed struggle.
He called for an international pressure campaign similar to the global movement against apartheid South Africa, saying Palestinians “cannot do it alone.”
Zomlot pointed to shifting global sentiment, citing a Pew poll showing 60 percent of Americans now hold an unfavourable view of Israel, a seven‑point rise in a year. He said conversations questioning Israel’s policies are now happening in Britain, Europe and for the first time across both major US political parties.
+ There are no comments
Add yours