MOSCOW, October 11. /TASS/. When the State of Israel was created, there was talk about the establishment of a sovereign Palestine, but it never materialized, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the Russian Energy Week.
"Originally, when the decision to create the State of Israel was made, there was at the same time a parallel decision to establish a second state. It was initially about the creation of two independent and sovereign states - Israel and Palestine," the president pointed out.
"As we know, Israel was established indeed, whereas Palestine has never been founded as an independent and sovereign state," Putin emphasized, noting that this was "due to a variety of circumstances."
In addition, the president stated that "some of the lands that the Palestinians consider and have always considered to be historically Palestinian lands have been occupied by Israel at different periods and in different ways."
"Mostly, of course, by military force," he stressed.
Close to the heart of each Muslim
Putin believes that the Palestinian problem is close to the heart of everyone in the Middle East, "it is very near to the heart of everyone who practices Islam."
"That’s how life has turned out, these are obvious things," he said. "Everything that has been happening for decades, not just now, is seen as a form of injustice, elevated to some incredible degree."
Escalation
Tensions flared up in the Middle East after HAMAS militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory. HAMAS views its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ steps against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank. The health ministry of the Palestinian enclave reported that at least 1,100 Palestinians have been killed and over 5,300 others injured as a result of Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip.