DECLARATION ON THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION
The Council of the Socialist International, meeting in United Nations, in Geneva, on 26-27 June 2018,
held discussions on the theme of international peace and security and reflected on the prospects for
peace in the Middle East, - Recalling its previous declarations of the SI, in particular the SI Councils in
New York in June 2010, in Istanbul in November 2013, in Geneva in December 2014, in New York in
July 2015, and in Geneva in July 2016:
The Council:
Reaffirms the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to their
independent State of Palestine on the June 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and
reaffirms its commitment, in accordance with international law, to bringing a complete end to the
Israeli occupation of the Palestinian state that started in 1967 in order to achieve the two- state
solution, as two sovereign and democratic states for all their citizens and a just solution to the issue
of Palestinian refugees on the basis of the UN resolution 194;
After more than 25 years of failing to achieve peace through the bilateral peace process, we believe
that the time has come for the international community to (collectively) meet its responsibility
under international law to bring an end to the occupation of the Palestinian State and all
impediments to the exercise by the Palestinian people of their right to self-determination;
Recalling our 2011 Athens Council declaration on the Middle East, whereby we called for the
recognition of the State of Palestine, the SI members reaffirm their commitment to:
1. Support the immediate unconditional recognition of the State of Palestine on the borders of the
4th of June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.
2. Support a greater international role through an international conference that will include various
international actors from different regions in order to push for a just and lasting peace based on
international law for Israel and Palestine, including complete ending the occupation that began in
1967;
3. Support a total end of all settlement activities including in East Jerusalem, the immediate end of
destruction of homes and the deportation of Palestinians and to end all forms of racial
discrimination and apartheid;
4. Encourage the non-violent approach at all levels and by all parties and demand the immediate
cessation of all forms of violence by the Israeli occupying power and settlers against the Palestinian
non-violent resistance;
5. Demand the immediate release of all the Palestinian prisoners especially the elected members of
the Palestinian legislative council, minors and administrative detainees;
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6. Since the SI’s last statement on April 2018, the number of Palestinian civilians attacked by Israeli
Occupation Forces has risen sharply with the killing of over 130 unarmed Palestinians and injuring of
over 6,000 including children, journalists, first aid paramedics, women and men. The Council strongly
condemns the illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel, as well as the use of lethal weapons by
Israeli military forces against peaceful non-violent protesters, and call the Israeli Government to
immediately lift the siege on the Gaza Strip and allow free the movement of the people. The SI
affirms its support to the United Nations General Assembly resolution (A/ES-10/L.23) that calls for
“guaranteeing the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilian population in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including in the Gaza Strip”.
7- Calls all governments and civil society organizations to activate Boycott, divestment and sanctions
(BDS) against the Israeli occupation, all the occupation institutions, and the illegal Israeli settlements
including the total embargo on all forms of military trade and cooperation with Israel as long as it
continues its policies of occupation and Apartheid against the Palestinian people.
8- The SI Council further calls on the US administration to reconsider its positions that are favouring
Israel, including moving their embassy to Jerusalem. We regret the US decision to withdraw from the
Human Rights Council, as it did previously from the Paris Agreement on climate change and
UNESCO.
9- The SI Council would like to reiterate its solidarity with the progressive forces in Israel and
Palestine, including human rights defenders and civil society organizations that have been victims of
a vicious campaign by the Israeli government. At the same time, the Council express its solidarity
with the Palestinian citizens in Israel that continues to live under a system of institutionalized
discrimination and strongly condemn the approval of racist laws, including the Citizenship Law.
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