National Day Message by H. E. Dr. Ahmed Al Madbuh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Palestine to the Republic of Bulgaria

Dear friends,

On November 15, 1988, from the rostrum of the Palestinian National Council - the Palestinian parliament in exile - the immortal Yasser Arafat proclaimed the Declaration of Independence of the State of Palestine.

Since then, for 33 years now, Palestine has steadily pursued its path, developing its state institutions, adhering strictly to its chosen path of intransigent but peaceful resistance, based on the principles and values of international law, which recognize its right to fight against occupation, to fully and finally achieve its national independence and sovereignty over its territory.

In the course of this struggle, the State of Palestine was recognized by 137, out of 193, UN member states. And on 29 November 2012, with the votes of 138 countries, it was granted observer status in the UN General Assembly and its national flag was solemnly raised alongside the flags of the member states. In addition, the State of Palestine is a full member of UNESCO and has acceded and continues to accede as a party to a number of international treaties, conventions and institutions, including the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). In this regard, as of 13 June 2014, the Government of the State of Palestine recognized the jurisdiction of the ICC. And on February 5, 2021, the First Pre-Trial Chamber of the Court issued a decision that the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court extends to the situation in Palestine, covering the territory occupied by Israel in 1967, namely the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with a view to the initiation of investigative action by the Court in relation to the complaint submitted by the State of Palestine concerning violations, which carries out the occupation of its territory.

In the outgoing year of 2021, the influential international human rights organization Human Rights Watch published a comprehensive report entitled "Crossing the Threshold: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution". The report examines the Israeli colonial occupation and the discriminatory and racist policies and practices against the Palestinian people and concludes that the occupation is committing crimes against humanity consisting of apartheid and persecution.

We Palestinians see these new moments as a source of hope that the world is moving towards a definitive end to the occupation of the territory of the State of Palestine.

Bulgaria recognized the State of Palestine on 25 November 1988 and raised the level of diplomatic representation of the PLO to the level of an embassy. It thus became one of the first countries to recognise the Declaration of Independence of the State of Palestine. And the development of the Palestinian-Bulgarian relations acquired a new direction - Bulgaria's support at regional and international forums and the annual admission of hundreds of Palestinian students at Bulgarian universities, which in turn contributed significantly to building a qualified human potential of the State of Palestine. The development of relations also includes the signing of numerous bilateral agreements in various fields. And we always rely on the political support that the Republic of Bulgaria gives to the State of Palestine on the sidelines of the UN, and we do not forget the support of Bulgaria to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East. Palestinian-Bulgarian relations are constantly developing and we are constantly striving to raise them to new, even higher levels.

Photo courtesy of the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Bulgaria. On it. H. E. Dr. Ahmed Al Madbuh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Palestine to the Republic of Bulgaria