Memorandum handed to PM Oli, calling for protesting Israeli attack on Palestine

Kathmandu, November 20 — Various political parties and civil society organizations handed a memorandum to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today, calling his attention to stand against Israel's aggression on Palestine.

A delegation comprising representatives of various parties and civil society organizations under the leadership of CPN (Maoist Centre) senior vice-chairman and former deputy prime minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha called on Prime Minister Oli at his residence today and urged the Government of Nepal to oppose at international forums the ongoing Israeli assault on Palestine and Lebanon.

The memorandum calls for changing the principle of neutral foreign policy of Nepal and for clearly putting its voice in forums as the United Nations in favour of those suffering injustice. The memorandum also calls for securing the release of Bipin Joshi, a Nepali student said to be in the captivity of Hamas and for bringing to Nepal the thousands of Nepali youths who are in Israel for their safety during the war period.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Oli asserted that Nepal is in favour of global peace, human rights and justice. Stating that neutrality does not mean the stronger keeps on bashing the weak while the weak keeps tolerating, he said the government will not go against the topics raised in the memorandum. "We don't first go for a fight against any power. We do not subscribe to any military alliance, but we do not tolerate injustice. We will be in defence of just peace and human rights in the world and not for a helpless peace," the PM said.

Maoist Centre general-secretary Dev Prasad Gurung, the Rastriya Janamorcha leader Durga Poudel, CPN (Unified Socialist) secretary Sher Bahadur Kunwar, the Revolutionary Communist Party senior leader CP Gajurel, the Janata Samajbadi Party's foreign department chief Arjun Thapa and activist of the Progressive Transformation Movement, Shyam Shrestha, among others were present in the meeting with the PM.