Jeddah (UNA) – The General Supervisor of Palestinian Official Media, the head of the Palestinian News and Information Agency “WAFA”, Minister Ahmed Assaf, expressed the deep appreciation of the Palestinian leadership and people for the courageous stances of the Saudi Crown Prince, Prime Minister, His Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, during his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, during which he affirmed his insistence on the establishment of the Palestinian state.
He also praised the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, in defending the rights of the Palestinian people, especially during the international conference on the two-state solution held in New York, which led to the recognition of the State of Palestine by a significant number of countries, as well as its efforts and leadership of the six-member committee that traveled the world in order to reach a ceasefire.
This came during his remote participation in a high-level dialogue session entitled “The Role of Media in Promoting Youth Participation in Building Post-Conflict Societies,” organized by the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, on the sidelines of its 26th regular session, held in Jeddah from December 14-18, entitled: “Youth Health in OIC Member States: Challenges and Opportunities from a Human Rights Perspective.”
He also thanked the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission and its Executive Director, Hadi bin Ali Al-Yami, for providing the opportunity to participate in this important seminar, and expressed his appreciation for their efforts in the field of human rights in Islamic countries, praising the choice of the topic of youth participation in reconstruction projects and development plans in conflict-affected areas, stressing that this is not unusual for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the rest of the brothers in the Arab and Islamic countries, specifically the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has made great efforts to stop the war on our people.
In his intervention, His Excellency the Minister said that the media has a crucial role, not only with regard to the participation of young women and men in public life and pushing them to contribute to shaping their future and the future of their societies and countries, but also in creating a positive public environment in conflict zones and those where conflict and strife have just ended, stressing that the role of the media may precede the role of the executive and legislative authorities in those countries.
He added, “In Palestine, the situation is different. The conflict here is not like any other conflict. Rather, it is a complex confrontation that takes place on the ground and in the narrative. It is as close as possible to an existential conflict for the Palestinian people. Today, after two years of genocidal war in the Gaza Strip and the ongoing war in the West Bank, it is indeed a bitter defense of existence and survival on the land. Our cause represents a living example of the blatant violation of human rights, international law, the United Nations Charter, and international legitimacy.”
He continued, “The situation in Palestine has a unique character and requires a different approach. The conflict in Palestine has not ended or stopped due to its existential nature. Any project related to reconstruction and development in Palestine needs to be part of a genuine peace project with clear objectives and a specific timetable, otherwise it will be difficult to implement in Palestine.”
Assaf summarized the role of the media in several points, most notably creating a positive environment through conciliatory media discourse that prioritizes dialogue over violence and hatred, and promotes the idea of pluralism of opinions and positions, and that the media should be an open field for positive dialogue within society.
He stressed the role of the media in promoting and enshrining the principle of the rule of law, highlighting the importance of the state of institutions as the guarantee for the unity of the nation, providing an opportunity for development planning, creating job opportunities for young people, urging governments to involve young people in decision-making and participation in discussions about their future, and encouraging young people to participate in public discourse, giving them the opportunity to express their opinions, positions and needs.
The general supervisor of official media pointed out the possibility of the media proposing laws and legislation that contribute to strengthening the role of youth and giving them hope to achieve their ambitions in their homelands, and others related to the age of participation in elections and candidacy for them, and laws that grant youth quotas in parliaments, institutions and the leadership of the country.
He stressed the need to limit the impact of social media in spreading hatred, racism, and discord, without affecting the right of young people to express their opinions and positions, which must be heard by governments.
He stressed the need to develop the prevailing culture in Islamic societies and to move more towards democratic practice, saying, “If we need to reform our political life, we have a greater need to develop patterns of thinking,” and suggested holding a seminar on structural problems and how they can be overcome.
Regarding the situation in Palestine, Minister Assaf said: “In Palestine we have an occupation and continuous wars. No sooner do we build than a war comes and destroys everything we have built. We also have another problem related to the separation, as the Gaza Strip is under the control of parties other than the legitimate Palestinian Authority, parties that hijack the decision to go to war. We have an extremist government in Israel that believes only in force as a means of dealing with the situation, and works day and night to liquidate the Palestinian cause, not to reach peace. The danger of displacement in Palestine still exists.”
He added, “Today we are facing an Israeli plan that makes the Gaza Strip an uninhabitable area,” noting that the recent aggression against the Strip resulted in 300 martyrs, wounded, and missing persons, including about 20 university and school students and educational staff. He also said that it is creating an unbearable reality of life in the West Bank due to the policy of collective punishment, settler terrorism, destruction of the economy, and undermining of the institutions of the Palestinian National Authority.
He continued, “Nevertheless, we will not lose hope, and we will continue to stand firm on our historic homeland. We will not allow a repeat of the 48 displacement, and we will continue to work with all the tools and capabilities we have to strengthen the resilience of the youth on their homeland, so that they can lead the battle for liberation and reconstruction.”
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