Palestinian cause a universal problem, Doha Forum told

The Palestinian cause is a universal problem and not Arab centric, a panel discussion at Doha Forum Sunday was told. The session ‘The Imperative of Palestinian Political Renewal’, discussed the plight of Palestinians while narrating the sufferings of Israeli invasion torn Gaza.Addressing the session, Dr Safwan M Masri, dean of Georgetown University in Qatar, underlined the need for the Palestinian cause to be perceived through a broad perspective. He noted that the residents of Gaza are in dire straits and one child dies ten minutes.The session shed light on the dimensions of the current crisis for Palestinians with a focus on the unfolding catastrophe in Gaza. The session underscored the need for a renewed focus on the carrying capacity of current Palestinian political structures in terms of governance and the ability to effectively articulate and advocate for Palestinian political aspirations, the country’s freedom and the people’s rights.Masri said the Palestinian Authority has failed its people and lost its credibility and legitimacy. "It’s illegitimate in some parts of Palestine,” he said.Moderated by journalist Mehdi Hasan, the session was attended by Rula Shadeed, programme and advocacy director, Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy; Wadah Khanfar, president and co-founder of Al Sharq Forum; Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the National Democratic Assembly Party; Omar H Rahman, research fellow, Middle East Council on Global Affairs."We can’t treat any situation without the right diagnosis. This is ethnic cleansing, it is mass killing, it’s confiscation of land and expansion of settlements" Rula Shadeed said.Sami Abu Shehadeh pointed out that the Palestinians are getting a raw deal even from their government, noting that the Palestine leadership ignored its people and the refugees abroad while signing the Oslo Accords.Wadah Khanfar said the Palestinian Authority is the tool of Israeli occupation and the Fatah Party will lose its credibility if the party fails to do anything effective to resolve the current situation.