Many Kuwaiti MPs, media, prominent personalities say no to ‘normalization’

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Kuwait fierce defender of Palestinian cause: Al-Daqbasi

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 16: Kuwait’s official discourse is consistent with the popular discourse in terms of rejecting normalization of ties with the Zionist entity, based on the decree of His Highness the late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem regarding the defensive war against the Zionist guerrillas, reports Al-Qabas daily.

With the continuous pressure of the Israeli media, especially in recent days, on the Arabs regarding the necessity for achieving peace between Arabs and Israel, Kuwait’s stance remains firm and steadfast. It rejects normalization with Israel; indeed, Kuwait rose up in the face of the Israeli media in opposition, denunciation and condemnation.

Kuwait’s position, which has been embodied over the decades, has been expressed by the political leadership more than once. It affirmed its commitment to support and assist the Palestinian cause, as it is the first Arab cause. Its emphasis has always been on never accepting anything other than what the Palestinian people and their legitimate leadership accept – a position that Kuwait confirmed during the economic conference hosted in Manama several months ago, and reasserted it with every proposal related to the “Deal of the Century”, which was rejected by the Palestinian authority.

Kuwait’s refusal was not limited to the official position at any time, as it is supported by a popular position expressed by the head of the legislative authority, the National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim. Everyone still remembers the scene when he threw the documents of the “Deal of the Century” in the trash, a position that was also expressed by the grassroots and representatives of different blocs.

Our position is solid

With the increasing Western and Israeli media pressures aimed at dissolving or weakening the Kuwaiti position, or in the weakest cases, creating loopholes that can be accessed, the Kuwaiti media has always been at the forefront of supporting the position of the political leadership with affirmation by various newspapers and channels of the Arab fundamentals and rights of the Palestinian people agreed upon. Most notably, it is the right of return and the right to self-determination without outside interference and to be a basic party in any peace process, as well as to stop Israeli settlements or annexation of new land.

During the past two days, messages from the Zionist entity calling for peace were met with solid popular rejection. This confirms the solidity of the Kuwaiti position against normalization, and condemnation of the pressure exerted by the Israeli media, which reached the point of saying, “Kuwait is the only country in the region that rejects normalization”.

Social media activists launched many of the hashtags that topped the communication sites. The participants stressed that the rejection of normalization is a popular and official decision based on complete conviction, and will remain as long as the Israeli occupation of Arab lands remains.

Among those hashtags, the hashtag “Kuwaitis Against Normalization” took the lead on the social networking site Twitter. Civil society organizations announced the organization of many virtual events and festivals to highlight their rejection of normalization and affirm support for the Kuwaiti position and the Palestinian cause.

Al-Khatib: “Rejection of normalization is a popular legacy fortified by the 1962 Constitution”

The great national symbol Dr. Ahmed Al-Khatib said every catastrophe or calamity can be expected with great regret in light of the deteriorating Arab situation.

However, he affirmed that Kuwait has distinguished itself on the level of Arab nationalism and the national position, even since prior to independence, which made it a haven for free Arabs even when it was under British protection.

Dr. Al-Khatib highlighted that Kuwait’s stance rejecting normalization is like an old Kuwaiti heritage, and that this Kuwaiti position is protected by the 1962 Constitution.

He insisted that, “This Arab position can be supported by spreading awareness and realizing that we are now facing a conspiracy to liquidate the Palestinian issue and establish another alternative axis that serves American interests instead of confronting the Israeli enemy.

If there is a conflict in the Arab region among different parties, then we should not be drawn into this conflict or participate in it because our goals differ from other plans and goals.

However, the tragedy of the Arab situation, unfortunately, lies in it being sick, worn out and divided among itself. Such a situation is in the interest of the arms conflict in the region.

It is a known fact that there are countries that thrive on increased conflicts around the world, as it allows their war industry to dispose of their products. This was what former US President Eisenhower meant when he said America is run by the military-industrial alliance. In other words, the American policy must always serve the US military industries and ensure their growth and continuation.”

Dr. Al-Mubarak: “We will not bow to the Zionist media machine”

The former minister and MP Dr. Ma’asouma Al-Mubarak said, “We will not yield to the Zionist media machine. The Kuwaiti position has been firm since the beginning of the crisis, as Kuwait had previously declared its rejection of this entity since the establishment of Israel through the 1967 war. This declaration was made through the announcement of the decree to enter the war against it during the reign of the late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem.

This position continued until Kuwait announced, through the words of the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad, that it would be the last to normalize relations with Israel in affirmation of its rejectionist position”.

She indicated that the Arab arena is currently witnessing a race towards normalization by some countries, which is justified and is linked to historical issues.

Dr. Al-Mubarak highlighted that the Palestinian people have not reaped any good from the attempts at normalization, beginning with the peace agreement concluded by Egypt through the agreement with Jordan. Everyone over time has forgotten the Palestinian issue such that the situation has become as though the Palestinians have no Arab support.

She stressed that Kuwait always affirms its rejection of normalization and the illegal termination of the Palestinian issue, and it has been the clearest Arab position towards the issue.

Dr. Al-Mubarak added that Kuwait’s silence towards the new paths of normalization does not confirm its satisfaction with it, but indicates its vision that this is a matter for those countries, while its position has been clear and explicit, and nothing new has occurred.

Bishara: “The Kuwaiti position stems from commitment to the Arab initiative”

The former secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Ambassador Abdullah Bishara said the Kuwaiti position is based on total commitment to the Arab position, which in turn is based on the Arab initiative and the Arab League’s position concerning the two-state solution.

He explained that Kuwait is an independent country and its position is based on its own perceptions and interests. It is a position that stems from a conviction that is acted upon; like the position of any other country in the region where everyone enjoys sovereignty and acts according to his own perceptions.

The Palestinian position must be studied well but all that matters, in his opinion, is the extent of commitment not to annex the West Bank, as it cannot be said that non-annexation is a temporary position. This is something that will not achieve the main goal, which is the existence of the two states.

Bishara said, “I support any endeavor that achieves the goal of the two states. However, I am afraid of the idea of temporary commitment, because I do not trust the Israelis, and I do not want temporary promises, because they do not encourage the Palestinians themselves.”

Al-Sarraf: “We are committed to the position of the political leadership”

Journalist Ahmed Al-Sarraf believes it is difficult to clearly understand the Kuwaiti position, but at the same time he is committed to it at the national level and sympathizes with it, in line with the position taken by the political leadership.

He said he wondered about the reason why some people are driven to outbid the owners of the issue who want peace on the basis that there is no second solution after the Arabs failed to confront Israel since 1936 and have suffered successive defeats militarily, politically, economically and culturally.

Al-Sarraf said, “Some spoke about the opposition, but the question is – What have we done to consolidate that opposition? We did not advance economically and did not develop our educational institutions. This necessitates a more positive decision which is not based on rejection for the sake of rejecting, or fear that it will be counted on us if we were proactive towards normalization.

Even the Arab position on the Arab initiative is difficult to rely on because of the differences that appear when talking about any step on the ground, as seen usually among us Arabs”.

Al-Ghabra: “Israeli electronic flies leading the campaigns”

Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University Dr. Shafeeq Al-Ghabra affirmed that the Kuwaiti position is sincere along the line of a number of fundamentals and values, the basis of which is that Kuwait will not undertake any normalization unless the Palestinian issue reaches a state of true justice based on the right of self-determination with historical and legitimate rights.

He added that Kuwait will not do anything that the Palestinian people have not approved.

Al-Ghabra explained that this position reflects the vision of the political leadership and nature of Kuwait’s foreign ministry’s structure as well as its declared and well-known policies since independence. This position is supported by keeping the channels of expression open in Kuwait, because it is the best support for the Kuwaiti orientations, especially since any new agreements for Arab normalization do not have a popular incubator. Thus, they are agreements that fall within a limited scope that has nothing to do with Arab and Islamic public opinion. The successive Israeli campaigns are led by electronic flies, which are an expression of racism, shallowness and aggression.

Al-Duwailah: “We should be proud of our country’s firm positions”

Former MP Mubarak Al-Duwailah stressed that the Kuwaiti position is a principled one, and that all successive Kuwaiti governments have imbibed the issue since the beginning of the Palestinian crisis.

He said, “The Kuwaiti position has always been calling for the liberation of Palestine, and declaration of Jerusalem as its capital. This position has never changed and no Kuwaiti official gave it up.

The Kuwaiti Parliament, as the representative of the people, was in harmony with the official position after sensing the people’s position towards the national and Islamic cause in the first place. This position is being subjected to regional, local and international pressures today in order to change it, and it can be supported on two tracks. The first is for all civil society institutions to express their opinion clearly regarding support for the principled position adopted by Kuwait since ancient times, and for the National Assembly to issue a statement demanding the government not to compromise this position.

The second track of support is to convince the world’s public opinion of the fact that Israel is a usurper state, and that normalization with it will not change its aggressive and expansionist policy.

Al-Duwailah highlighted the existence of Kuwaiti pens that sold their consciences for a handful of money, and therefore expressed opinions of those who pay them, due to which it is necessary to confront them for being a threat to national and Arab “Ummah” security.

MPs: “We will not reconcile with a usurper… or extend our hands to the occupier”

MP Fahad Al-Shammari said, “A number of MPs praised Kuwait’s official and popular stance rejecting normalization with the Israeli entity. They have insisted in several separate statements that it is high treason that does not conform with the will of free people. They call on the parliament to prepare and issue a resolution rejecting and denouncing normalization with the Zionists, and to reinforce the honorable official position of Kuwait”.

MP Muhammad Hayef expressed his disapproval about normalization of relations with the Zionist entity.

He said he wondered if their violations on the land of Palestine and the Al-Aqsa Mosque have ended, if rights were returned to their owners, or have the prisoners been released and refugees returned. He stressed that all of this has not been achieved, due to which the call for normalization is not necessary.

MP Abdullah Al-Kandari called on the Parliament’s office to issue a statement in the first upcoming session to reject and denounce normalization, and to reinforce the honorable official position of the State of Kuwait and its steadfast people with the Palestinian right.

MP Muhammad Al-Huwaila praised “the historic and honorable position of Kuwait, which was last embodied by His Highness the Amir in his speech at the Islamic summit that summarized our positions on the existential issue of Muslims and Arabs.”

As for MP Abdulwahab Al-Babtain, he said “The declaration of war against the Zionist guerrillas in occupied Palestine, issued by decree on June 5, 1967, is a great pride for us as Kuwaitis.”

MP Saleh Ashour said, “Normalization is more dangerous than reconciliation”, and MP Ali Al-Daqbasi said, “Kuwait was and still is present in all forums and at all popular and official levels as a fierce defender of the first cause of the nation.”

MP Thamer Al-Sweit said, “Kuwait, officially and popularly, will never deviate from the Palestinian line, whether it is long or short,  today and tomorrow.”

MP Khaled Al-Otaibi said, “Palestine is our neck, and we will not reconcile with a usurper or reach out to an occupier.”

MP Mubarak Al-Hajraf stressed that, “Kuwait, with its great donations, refuse to betray Islam with the occupying enemy.”

MP Adel Al-Damkhi said, “We will remain supportive of the Palestinian cause as much as we can.”

In addition, MP Abdulkareem Al-Kandari said, “The positions of states are not related to their size. Kuwait is geographically small, but large in terms of its official and popular stances against normalization.”

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