By Genevieve Holl-Allen
Copyright yahoo
Palestine’s ambassador to the UK refused to condemn the murder of seven Israelis outside a synagogue on Holocaust Memorial Day.
Husam Zomlot attended celebrations outside the Palestinian embassy, formerly the Palestine mission to the UK, in London to mark Britain’s recognition of the state.
He was joined by several Labour MPs, including Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, and Hamish Falconer, the Middle East minister, for the raising of the Palestinian flag.
But Mr Zomlot previously refused to condemn the murders of seven people outside a synagogue in Jerusalem in January 2023.
Asked if he would condemn of the attack, he told Sky News the following month: “Every life lost is absolutely a tragedy, and no one works for a non-violent solution to this more than us.”
Pressed again on whether he would condemn the act of violence, he replied: “No. I condemn the origin of all this. That’s what needs to be condemned.”
He added: “We can sit here until the morning to talk about condemnation. We must stop the cycle of violence, that is what we need to do. And we must visit the root cause of this violence.”
The Palestinian ambassador also commemorated the death of Ghassan Kanafani, a former spokesman for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
The group co-ordinated a terror attack on Lod airport, now Ben Gurion airport, in Tel Aviv, which killed 26 people in 1972, after which Mossad shot and killed Kanafani.
In a now-deleted post on X in July 2023, Mr Zomlot wrote: “Rest in eternal power and peace Ghassan Kanadani.”
Mr Zomlot has been the head of the mission in the UK since 2018, and before that held a similar post in the United States.
Credit: @Keir_Starmer / X
Mr Streeting shared a photograph of himself with Palestine’s ambassador, Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader and other Labour MPs.
He wrote: “Proud to join (Mr Zomlot) with (Mr Sarwar), (Mr Falconer) and (Labour) MPs at a special event to mark the UK’s recognition of the State of Palestine.
“The only solution to this conflict is two states for two people. Israeli and Palestinian lives and statehood are of equal value.”
Mr Falconer told BBC Breakfast on Monday: “Recognition will not … mean that humanitarian aid comes in tomorrow. It will not mean that hostages are released tomorrow.
“But it does set out an important framework for bringing this conflict to an end, getting a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Mr Zomlot said on Sunday: “We welcome the British Government’s historic decision to formally recognise the state of Palestine. Today is not just about Palestine, but about Britain’s fulfilment of a solemn responsibility. This long-overdue recognition marks an end to Britain’s denial of the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination.
“Recognition is not a destination, but an opening of a new chapter to right the wrongs of the past, stop the genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, and end the unlawful occupation.”
The Palestinian embassy has been approached for comment.
