The Nigerian government has said a two-state solution is the most dignified path to ensure lasting peace between Palestine and Israel.
The country now joins the long list of countries calling for a two-state solution to end the war in Gaza and the recognition of an independent Palestinian state — a solution that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has vehemently kicked against.
While delivering an address to World leaders at the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Nigeria’s vice president, Kashim Shettima, said Palestinians must be granted equal freedom and dignity as granted to citizens of every other state
“They are human beings, equal in worth, entitled to the same freedoms and dignities that the rest of us take for granted,” he said.
Mr Shettima said Palestinians are not “collateral damage in a civilisation searching for order.”
He stated that the community has been subjected to prolonged conflicts and a devastating humanitarian crisis.
“That is why we say, without stuttering and without doubt, that a two-state solution remains the most dignified path to lasting peace for the people of Palestine.
“The community has borne the weight of moral conflict. For too long, we have been caught in the crossfire of violence that offends the conscience of humanity.
“We come not as partisans, but as peacemakers. We come as brothers and sisters of a shared world, a world that must never reduce the right to live into the currency of devious politics,” he said.
Nigeria speaks on Israeli aggression in Gaza
Mr Shettima further noted that Nigeria has taken this stance on the Israel-Hamas war due to its experience with terrorism and armed conflict.
The vice-president stated that terrorist organisations in the country despise Nigeria due to its commitment to peace over tyranny and disorder.
“Their ambition is to divide us and to poison our humanity with a toxic rhetoric of hate,” he said to World Leaders.
“Our difference is the distance between shadow and light, between despair and hope, between the ruin of anarchy and the promise of order.
“We do not only fight wars, we feed and shelter the innocent victims of war. This is why we are not indifferent to the devastations of our neighbours, near and distant,” he said.
The Vice President said Nigeria’s commitment to peace in the face of violence perpetuated by terrorists in its country has made it vocal against violence in other parts of the world.
“This is why we speak of the violence and aggression visited upon innocent civilians in Gaza, the illegal attack on Qatar, and the tensions that scar the wider region.
“It is not only because of the culture of impunity that makes such acts intolerable,” he said.
Mr Shettima said Nigeria’s own bitter experience has shown that “such violence never ends where it begins.”
“We do not believe that the sanctity of human life should be trapped in the corridors of endless debate.”
Palestinian statehood
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and Israeli forces continue their assault on the Gaza Strip in an effort to seize it, world leaders are increasingly calling for an end to the war.
Many of them have asked Israel to stop its genocidal war in Gaza and commit to a long-term sustainable peace process that delivers a two-state solution and allows more aid into the enclave.
Countries are also increasingly pushing for a two-state solution, with some of them — such as the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal — declaring official recognition of Palestinian statehood.
France, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Andorra and Belgium also formally recognised a Palestinian state at the ongoing session of the UNGA.
Recognising Palestine’s statehood means acknowledging the existence of a state that represents the Palestinian people.
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It also means countries can develop full diplomatic relations with representatives of this state. It can exchange embassies and negotiate government-level agreements.
According to the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, the recognition was intended to maintain prospects for peace.
“In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and of a two-state solution,” Mr Starmer said in a video statement on Sunday.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also said, “Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel.
However, Mr Netanyahu said he has always frustrated the creation of a Palestinian State and will continue to do so.
He also described recognition of Palestine by countries as “an absurd prize for terrorism.”
US President Donald Trump also expressed displeasure with countries that recognised Palestine as an independent state.
Currently, the State of Palestine is recognised as a sovereign nation by 157 of the 193 UN member states, representing 81 per cent of the international community.
The Holy See also recognises the state, the governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. The body holds UN non-member observer status.
Nigeria, however, is yet to join this list.