Karachi (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Palestine Foundation Pakistan organized an online webinar titled “The Centrality of Palestine in Regional Liberation, Anti-Imperialist Struggle, and the Anti-Zionist Movement.” The webinar was attended by prominent analysts, diplomats, academics, journalists, and political commentators from several countries, including Pakistan, Palestine, Greece, Lebanon, Yemen, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, and India.
The speakers included renowned Pakistani analyst and former diplomat Ghulam Rasool Baloch; Dr. Sabir Abu Maryam, Secretary General of Palestine Foundation Pakistan; Dr. Abdul Latif Hajj from Palestine; former Greek minister Costas Isychos; prominent Lebanese journalist Zainab Sayed Ali; Hussein Al-Bukhaiti from Yemen; Dr. Dina Sleiman from Indonesia; Dr. Manal Sinjar from Iraq; Fatima Asadi from Iran; and Feroz Mithiborwala from India.
The speakers emphasized that Palestine should not be viewed merely as a geographical territory or a political issue, but as a fundamental compass for global justice, human dignity, and freedom. They described the ongoing wars and bloodshed across the region as part of a shared objective pursued by the United States and the Zionist state of Israel: to reshape the Middle East and crush resistance movements. According to the speakers, this agenda seeks to establish a “Greater Israel” on one hand and a “New Middle East” on the other.
They argued that the escalating tensions and bombardment in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, alongside the aggression against Palestine, represent different fronts of the same imperialist and Zionist war. They further described the restoration of relations with what they termed the occupying Zionist state of Israel, as well as so-called peace agreements, as acts of betrayal.
The speakers also alleged that imperialist intelligence networks, including the CIA and Mossad, are directly involved in terrorism and internal instability in Pakistan. In the context of regional liberation, they reaffirmed their commitment to raising their voices for the rights and freedom of the oppressed people of Indian-occupied Kashmir.
They stressed the need for all oppressed forces from Gaza to Beirut, Damascus, Sana’a, and Pakistan to unite and establish a common, resilient, and invincible front against imperialism and Zionism.
The speakers further stated that imperialist powers are conspiring not only against Palestine but also against every country, including Greece, that seeks to support the Palestinian cause. They noted that the olive tree symbolizes both Palestine and Greece. One speaker described former US President Donald Trump as a grim reflection of contemporary America.
The speakers said Yemen offers another painful lesson. The war that began in 2015 has caused immense destruction and human suffering in the country. According to estimates by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), more than 300,000 people had died in Yemen by the end of 2021, many of them due to hunger and preventable diseases. More than 18 million people face severe food insecurity, while approximately 4.8 million have been displaced.
Addressing the situation in Lebanon, the speakers said Israeli attacks have killed civilians in their homes, including entire families. They stressed that the safety and protection of civilians must be taken seriously, regardless of differing political views about Lebanon. They added that villages in southern Lebanon are bombed daily and demolished by bulldozers.
“Today, the air in Lebanon is filled with the smell of gunpowder, and the entire world knows who is responsible,” the speakers said, referring to the same force they accused of carrying out one of the worst acts of genocide in human history in Gaza.
The speakers also expressed their sincere hope that Pakistan and Türkiye would not be drawn into confrontation against their Muslim brothers in Yemen. They called for the establishment of a new regional alliance comprising Iran, Iraq, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Pakistan to promote regional unity and stability.
The speakers stated that Iraq had rejected US pressure to abandon its support for Palestine. They said Iraq has consistently regarded the Palestinian cause as an issue concerning the entire Muslim Ummah, maintaining that the security of Palestine is inseparable from the security of the Islamic Ummah.
Addressing the webinar, speakers from various countries also highlighted Iran’s role in confronting what they described as the combined power of the United States, Western countries, and Israel. They argued that Iran had stood against the Western-led alliance despite efforts by various Western powers, from France under Emmanuel Macron to the United Kingdom, to influence the regional confrontation.
The webinar concluded with a call for greater solidarity among regional countries and oppressed peoples, emphasizing that the liberation of Palestine remains central to the broader struggle for regional independence, justice, and resistance to imperialism and Zionism.
