French Communist Party Reaffirms Historic Solidarity with Palestine

The Deputy Head of Human Rights at European Parties’ University in Paris: “The French Communist Party has never been a mere bystander to the suffering of the Palestinian people”

The Deputy Head of Human Rights at the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) stressed, during the European Parties’ University in Paris, that the French Communist Party has never been a mere bystander to the suffering of the Palestinian people. He underlined that the party has always played and continues to play an active role in the struggle for solidarity and internationalism. “For this reason, we in the P.L.O regard you not merely as allies, but as partners in the struggle,” he said.

Paris – Montpellier, the summer university of the French Communist Party concluded in Montpellier, Paris, with wide-ranging discussions on international and regional issues, most notably the recognition of the State of Palestine in line with international law, humanitarian principles and UN resolutions. The event was attended by Qasem Awwad, Deputy Head of the Human Rights and Civil Society Department at the Palestine Liberation Organization – P.L.O.

In his opening remarks, French Communist Party’s Mr. Fabien Roussel welcomed Mr. Awwad, coordinator of the International Alliance for the Defense of Palestinian People’s Rights, and praised the strong and active Palestinian participation in the gathering, which brought together more than 700 leaders of European leftist parties alongside members of the PCF and other French left-wing forces. The PLO delegation was greeted with warm applause and chants of solidarity for Palestine.

Roussel stressed the party’s pride in its growing partnership with the P.L.O and the Palestine Forum through the launch of the International Alliance for the Defense of Palestinian Rights and the Protection of the Right of Return. He noted that the alliance is already achieving tangible results, citing the recent joining of 1,900 French lawyers from across France who pledged their commitment to defending the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

In his remarks, he reaffirmed that the PCF stands firmly with the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Among its key demands: an immediate end to what he described as a “war of extermination”, the inalienable right of Palestinians to self-determination, and the dismantling of Israel’s ongoing Zionist colonial project in Palestine. He emphasized that the party will continue working with all international partners, as well as human rights and trade union organizations, to strengthen this international alliance. Such efforts, he noted, will help amplify the Palestinian voice and defend the justice of its cause across global forums.

For his part, Awwad conveyed the consistent guidance of Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, to intensify global diplomatic and grassroots efforts around the world in order to broaden engagement, mobilization, and advocacy in support of Palestinian rights, chiefly the right to self-determination and an end to mass killings and war of extermination against the Palestinian people, and the pursuit of international recognition of the State of Palestine.

“It is an honor to join you at this summer university, and to speak alongside Comrade Vincent Boulet, the PCF’s Secretary of International Relations, whose daily work embodies the values of international solidarity,” Awad said.

He underscored that his participation was not a routine political gesture, but rather a reaffirmation of the deep, historic partnership between the P.L.O and the PCF, one that dates back decades. He recalled how, in the 1970s, the PCF was among the first to recognize the P.L.O as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and how it welcomed Yasser Arafat after his landmark UN speech in 1974, defying attempts to isolate the Palestinian leadership politically under the leadership of Comrade Georges Marchais, and opened its platforms to the voice of Palestine. “You opened your doors to our cause and carried our voice to French and European society. Those positions were not symbolic, but rather a manifestation of deep and unwavering commitment, a cornerstone in building the international legitimacy of the Palestine Liberation Organization”, he said.

Awwad emphasized that, “The PCF has always been a party of action, not mere rhetoric, a party of long-standing tradition. Its steadfastness has made it not only a loyal friend in supporting the Palestinian people and their legitimate right to liberation, but also a strategic partner in our long march towards freedom.

Awwad highlighted the joint launch, in June of this year, of the International Alliance for the Defense of Palestinian Rights and the Protection of the Right of Return” in partnership with the PCF. This alliance was not merely a political initiative, but a practical embodiment of the party’s long tradition of international solidarity. Together, we have written a new chapter in our cooperation, one that connects the past with the present and paves the way for a future of joint action at the international level.

He further stressed that the Palestinian struggle continues on multiple fronts, through popular uprisings, political and diplomatic resistance, and legal battles before international courts. Our struggle today is more urgent than ever, in the face of the Israeli ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, the colonial expansion of settlements in the West Bank, and the continued Judaization of Jerusalem.

Awwad reiterated that recognizing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital is not merely a political option, but a legal and moral obligation for the international community. Such recognition reinforces the principle of peoples’ right to self-determination, holds the Israeli occupation accountable for its crimes, and lays the foundation for a just peace built on justice rather than power.

But we know well that such recognition will not be achieved without struggle, nor will it be imposed on governments without popular and political pressure led by progressive parties, trade unions, and organizations. This is where your role lies, for you have never yielded to interests or pressures. The steadfastness of the French Communist Party on its position regarding Palestine fills our hearts with pride and grants our people additional strength to endure.

The French Communist Party has never been a mere bystander to the tragedy of the Palestinian people, it has always been an active partner in the struggle for solidarity and internationalism. For us in the PLO, you are not just allies, but partners in resistance,” Awwad affirmed.

He concluded by affirming that the Palestinian people will continue their struggle until they achieve full freedom, establish their independent state, and secure the return of Palestinian refugees to their homes, stressing that the Palestinian cause is not an isolated struggle of Palestinians alone, but part of a broader global fight against colonialism, racism, and domination.

The session closed with a joint pledge to continue advancing this historic partnership linking Paris and Palestine, the PCF and the PLO, until freedom and justice are achieved.