KUALA LUMPUR, 5 Feb 2009: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has told the big powers that sophisticated killing machines pale in comparison to a far mightier weapon — the spirit of the people.
The former prime minister said that a hundred years ago, the big powers could conquer and colonise. But not any more.
“You cannot crush the spirit of the people and the love of their land. They will fight, (even) if it takes a thousand years.
“If the world is to see peace in Palestine and the Middle-East and indeed, the whole world, take no sides in the Palestinian conflict.
“Only justice based on historical facts will put an end to the Palestinian issue peacefully.
“Until then, the world will continue to see endless violence and war in the Middle-East and Palestine,” Mahathir said at the Palestine Forum here today.
He said the onus was on the big powers which created Israel, the time-bomb par excellence, which would not stop exploding in the face of the world until justice was done.
Mahathir said the tragedy of Gaza would be repeated again and again, adding that the Americans and the Israelis were forever, demanding that the Palestinians stop their terror attacks before there could be peace talks.
“But why should the Palestinians do that when the Israelis still occupy their land and enforce their rule on Palestinian land, keeping thousands of Palestinians as prisoners and in every way, threaten the life of the Palestinians?,” he asked.
Relating his experiences, the former prime minister said en route to Palestine, he was shocked to find its entry controlled by Israelis armed with machine guns.
He said the Israelis had blockaded Gaza under the excuse that arms might be smuggled into the strip.
“Why is it so wrong for the Palestinians to get inadequate weaponry when the US supplies guns, rockets, bombs, tanks and warplanes to the Israelis with which to blast Palestinian towns out of existence, with which to kill children?,” Mahathir asked. — Bernama
