The University of Karachi (KU) hosted a seminar on “Understanding the Palestinian Conflict” on Wednesday to provide in-depth knowledge and insights about the ongoing Israel-Palestine issue. The seminar was held at the KU Chinese Teachers Memorial Auditorium. Guest speaker and former chairperson of the KU Department of International Relations (IR) Dr. Talat Ayesha Wizarat addressed the various dimensions of the conflict, emphasizing that the facts remain unchanged. She suggested that the Primary initiative to address the immediate challenges facing the international community during the Israel-Hamas conflict should be a ceasefire, followed by medical assistance, the restoration of food supplies, and ensuring that the Palestinian people are not forced to leave Gaza.
Dr. Wizarat advocated for the two-state solution as the key to resolving the conflict, stating that there should be no room for apartheid or allowing settlers to rule the country; instead, they should be allowed to live peacefully. Earlier, KU Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Professor Dr. Shaista Tabassum raised several pertinent questions about the Palestine-Israel war, delving into potential solutions and exploring the socio-economic and political implications of the conflict. She also inquired whether Israel could successfully crush the power of Hamas.
KU Chairman of the Department of IR Dr. Naeem Ahmed emphasized that the Palestinian people have been denied the right to self-determination, reiterating that the two-state solution is the only viable option for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, even though it may not be achievable in the near future. The panelists discussed a wide range of issues, including the historical background, humanitarian crises, war crimes committed by Israel, settler colonialism, ethno-state dynamics, the elimination of native populations.
