Embassy of the State of Palestine in Zambia

A ban on a Call to Prayer is a violation of religious Freedom, Culture and Spiritual diversity

It is with deep concern that the Embassy has observed the resurfacing of proposals aimed at restricting or banning the Adhan (Islamic Call to Prayer) by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and his allies. The proposed legislation targets Palestinian presence its scared rights and constitutes a direct challenge to universal human values, ethical principles, divine teachings, and international norms that uphold freedom of religion and belief as fundamental human rights.

The Adhan is a Voice of Faith, Freedom, and Human Dignity that reminds us of faith in One God and that he is the greatest. it is therefore, not merely a ritual exclusive to Muslims rather it is an expression of a worldview that affirms human dignity, freedom, moral responsibility, and the pursuit of peace and righteousness.

Historically, Palestine Similar to Zambia embodied these same values. As the land of divine revelations and a cradle of civilizations, it was home to Muslims, Christians, and others who lived together within a shared social, cultural, and historical fabric. Zambia continues to stand as a model of mutual respect and religious harmony among people of different faiths and beliefs. Zambia continues to embrace religious diversity as a source of cultural enrichment and human progress, recognizing that true human dignity begins with respecting every person's right to believe, worship, and live according to their conscience in freedom and peace.

Against this backdrop, attempts to restrict or criminalize the Adhan cannot be viewed merely as administrative or regulatory measures. Rather, they should be viewed as infringements against fundamental human rights and should be considered as a troubling disregard for principles enshrined in both divine teachings and international legal standards which promote human dignity, religious freedom, and respect for cultural and spiritual diversity

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine welcomes the report by the United Nations Secretary-General on “Conflict-related sexual violence” listing Israel on the list of State parties committing or being responsible for patterns of r**e or other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict and against Palestinian children, women, and men.

The Ministry recalls that Israel’s policy of r**e and other forms sexual and gender-based violence against the Palestinian people, is long-standing, well-documented, and organized crime. These policies are aimed at terrorizing the Palestinian people, perpetuating a system of oppression and apartheid, entrenching Israel’s unlawful presence, denying the Palestinian people their right to self- determination, with the objective to accelerate their ethnic cleansing and expel them from their land.

Israel’s use of r**e and sexual is intended not only to humiliate, punish and intimidate the individual Palestinians but also to inflict severe, lasting physical and psychological harm, including injuries that cause permanent disability, to destroy the whole of the Palestinian society.

The frequency, prevalence and severity of sexual and gender-based crimes committed by Israel and its forces are one of the most outrageous sexual rimes committed in modern history. While the report details 31 cases of Israel’s employment of r**e, including with objects, gang r**e, attempted r**e, physical violence to the ge****ls, instances of targeted shooting of the ge****ls, touching of breasts and ge****ls, strip and cavity searches conducted without apparent security justification, forced nudity and threats of r**e, the Ministry recalls that there are thousands of Palestinian victims who remain unlawfully languishing in Israeli detention centers, r**ed and denied access to international organizations, and their right to justice.

R**e and sexual violence by Israel is not limited to its occupation forces. Israeli settlers are frequently using sexual violence and r**e to terrorize Palestinian communities and displace them from their homes, communitas, villages, and cities, including sexualised insults and gestures, indecent exposure, intimidation, threats of sexual violence, and surveillance of intimate spaces. The Ministry calls on the United Nations Secretary-General to also investigate sexual violence and r**e by settlers and settler groups and ensure their inclusion on the list.

All these crimes are occurring within institutionalized environment of genocide, apartheid, and illegal occupation, and persistent impunity, by the executive, legislative, and the judiciary. Israeli officials have championed and protected rapists; Israeli Knesset members have debated whether ra**ng detainees was legitimate as if there was a right to r**e; and Israeli courts have facilitated, legitimized, and protected rapists.

The listing of Israel as responsible for patterns of r**e or other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict report must prompt the international community to immediately take urgent action to protect the rights of Palestinian children, women, and men, especially in detention centers, and demand their release. States must demand international protection for the Palestinian people place sanctions on Israel and pursue accountability including in their domestic and international courts. The Ministry calls on the United Nations and international organizations to establish comprehensive medical, psychological and social treatment programmes for survivors.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates strongly condemns Israel’s continued military assault on the Gaza Strip, including the killing of civilians and widespread destruction, in clear violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and the ceasefire agreement and related understandings.

Since the ceasefire was announced, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed — the majority of them children and women — in addition to thousands of wounded, as a result of ongoing bombardment and the direct targeting of civilians, infrastructure, and shelters. This confirms that Israel continues to commit crimes of killing and destruction despite the agreement being in effect.

The Ministry warns of the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, amid the closure of crossings and the continued restriction and obstruction of humanitarian aid from entering in a sufficient and regular manner — in violation of UN resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), and the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice — threatening a return of widespread famine, as warned by reports from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

The Ministry calls on the mediating and guarantor states, foremost among them the United States, to take immediate action and pressure Israel — the occupying authority — to halt its crimes against Palestinian civilians, ensure full compliance with the terms of the agreement and UN resolutions, and secure the entry of humanitarian aid.

In the same context, the Ministry condemns the statements of occupation Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the expansion of the aggression and Israeli control over approximately 70% of the Gaza Strip, considering them a contradiction of President Trump's vision and a serious violation of the foundations of the ceasefire — as well as a deliberate undermining of international efforts aimed at ending the aggression, preventing forced displacement, and opening a political horizon that embodies the State of Palestine and realizes the right to self-determination.

The Ministry reiterates its demand to the international community to take urgent and effective action to pressure the Israeli occupation authorities and activate accountability mechanisms, in order to bring about an immediate halt to all violations, systematic practices, policies, and crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip; to ensure a sustained and unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid and the entry of necessary materials including shelter and medical care; and ultimately to achieve a comprehensive cessation of aggression, Israeli withdrawal, recovery and reconstruction, and the securing of international protection for our Palestinian people until independence and the end of the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine.

Foreign Ministry: The World Must Curb the Occupation’s Crimes in Gaza

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates strongly condemns the continued war of genocide, killing, and destruction being waged by Israel, the illegal occupying power, against our people in the Gaza Strip, in blatant violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and all agreements and understandings related to the ceasefire.

Since the announcement of the ceasefire, more than 1,000 Palestinians — the majority of them children and women — have been killed, in addition to thousands of injured civilians, as a result of the continued bombardment and direct targeting of civilians, infrastructure, and shelter centers. This confirms Israel’s ongoing commission of crimes of killing and destruction despite the ceasefire agreement being in effect.

The Ministry warns of the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip amid the closure of border crossings, the continued restriction of humanitarian aid entry, and the obstruction of its adequate and regular delivery, in violation of United Nations resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), as well as the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice. These actions threaten the return of widespread famine, as warned by reports of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

The Ministry calls on the mediating and guarantor states, foremost among them the United States, to act immediately and exert pressure on Israel, the occupying power, to halt its crimes against Palestinian civilians, ensure full compliance with the terms of the agreement and international resolutions, and guarantee the entry of humanitarian aid.

In the same context, the Ministry condemns the statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the expansion of the aggression and Israeli control over approximately 70% of the Gaza Strip, considering them contrary to President Trump’s vision and a serious violation of the foundations of the ceasefire. Such statements constitute a deliberate undermining of international efforts aimed at ending the aggression, preventing forced displacement, and launching a political horizon that embodies the State of Palestine and realizes the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

The Ministry renews its call on the international community to take urgent and effective action to pressure the Israeli occupation authorities and activate accountability mechanisms in order to immediately halt all violations, practices, policies, and systematic crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip. It also calls for ensuring the sustainable and unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid and the entry of essential and necessary supplies, including shelter and medical treatment, leading to a comprehensive cessation of the aggression, Israeli withdrawal, recovery and reconstruction efforts, and the provision of international protection for the Palestinian people until independence is achieved and the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine is brought to an end.

It was not surprising that the Orthodox Church clergy in Zambia, together with the Greek Olympic Mission to Zambia, were among the very first to extend their congratulations to the Embassy of the State of Palestine on the first day of the blessed Eid Al-Adha. Their visit to our Embassy to convey their greetings and to express the solidarity of the Greek people with the Palestinian people was deeply appreciated.
I was greatly honoured to receive them and to extend, through them, my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the friendly people of Greece, on behalf of our Palestinian people, for this remarkable humanitarian gesture and principled stance. Such solidarity reaffirms that the justice of the Palestinian cause, and its profound humanitarian and universal dimensions, continue to inspire broad international popular support and consensus.
This support strengthens the steadfastness and resilience of our Palestinian people in their ongoing struggle to remain, grow, and prosper on their homeland, Palestine, until the achievement of freedom, independence, and the establishment of the independent Palestinian State with القدس as its capital.
My heartfelt thanks and appreciation to His Beatitude the Reverend Father, to our brother and friend Liwan, to the distinguished champion from the Greek Olympic Mission, and to the Greek community in Zambia for their sincere solidarity and noble sentiments.

His Excellency Ambassador Keswani received representatives from the Emerge-Eden International Model United Nations Zambia, operating under the Palestinian Delegation.

The Emerge-Eden International Model United Nations is a simulation of the UN that combines diplomacy training with community projects aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the General Assembly.

As future diplomats, the delegation visited the embassy for a practical exchange on issues surrounding the State of Palestine, with particular focus on the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the humanitarian crisis affecting children and women in Gaza, and the terrorism against Christian and Muslim Palestinians in the West Bank.

The embassy expresses its gratitude to the delegation and continues to maintain an open-door policy to strengthen Palestine-Zambia relations.

On Africa Freedom Day, the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Zambia extends warm congratulations to the Zambian people and government.

We honor Africa’s resilience, unity, and liberation from colonialism and apartheid.

Palestine stands in solidarity with Africa’s ongoing journey toward justice, dignity, and true freedom. May this day inspire continued progress and partnership between our peoples.

Happy Africa Freedom Day.