Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1208901
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 FEBRUARY 2020 OPINION Fadi Hanania Indeed, women are still shouldering the obligation of birth control because more male-centred methods such as vasectomies or the male pill are negatively stereotyped, framed with misinformation, under-re- searched or discouraged by health practitioners. Women can be refused admin- istration of the morning-after pill if practitioners in question deem it against their personal (not the patient's) principles. Notably, this is also anomalous when compared to the blood transfusion policy, which is generally determined by the pa- tient's – not the practitioner's – value-set. Additionally, morning af- ter-pills may not be sold to someone on behalf of the per- son who needs it. In practice this means that, strictly speaking a woman who just suffered rape or for some other reason is risking an un- wanted pregnancy has to (also) find the physical and mental strength to go shopping at the pharmacist as quickly as she can! This list is longer than the number of femicides in Malta to date – but the latter will keep gaining ground unless stalled by a truly holistic approach. THE State of Palestine rejects the Unit- ed States' administration so-called plan, and considers it a declaration of hostility against the inalienable rights of the Pal- estinian people. This plan poses a serious threat to the rules-based international or- der and the foundations of international law. It is a conceptually flawed, absolutist, and irresponsible agreement of surrender that the US adminis- tration wants to coerce Palestine into signing. The plan discards the re- quirements of peace by en- dorsing the annexation of large parts of the Occupied Pales- tinian Territory, and alters the life of thousands of Palestini- an-Israeli citizens, which are both crimes strictly prohibit- ed under international law. It does not regard the Palestinian Territory, including East Je- rusalem, as occupied and thus discards the international con- sensus on the issue. The plan endorses for the illegal annex- ation of occupied Jerusalem, in defiance of the UN Char- ter and relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. The plan presents a disconnected and unviable archipelago of Palestinian communities stripped of any sovereign- ty or viability, and denied of any control over borders, airspace, territorial wa- ters, security, or natural resources. The plan also conditions economic and po- litical development in Palestine, hence removing any pretense of sovereignty. Additionally, the plan rejects the rights of Palestinian refugees and requires Pal- estine to abandon all efforts to seek jus- tice and redress through international tribunals. These are conditions that no country can accept. We view accepting this dangerous pro- posal as tantamount to endorsement of a new and lawless era in international politics where aggression and annex- ation are normalised. Endorsing this plan and its false claims would unravel the international rules-based order and the system of laws and reg- ulations t h a t c o n s t i - tutes in- ternational relations for over seventy years. It surrenders future generations to chaos, lawlessness and the rule of the jungle. The State of Palestine reminds all States of their responsibility to strictly refrain from aiding or abetting, wheth- er directly or indirectly, violations of international law, including annexa- tion. States that accept or normalise the US-Israe- li agenda of annexation and denial of Palestinian national rights would be complicit in undermining the standing of the inter- national order. We call on responsible actors to take serious and effective meas- ures to protect the require- ments of peace and ensure accountability by adopting the logical and responsible course of action of exact- ing a cost for the continu- ation of this illegal occupa- tion and annexation. The State of Palestine does not consider this plan a basis for any credible or constructive dialogue as it contains all the elements of perpetual conflict, oppression, and injustice. It has no legal or political validity and we will not engage in any discussion based on its content. We re- affirm that the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, freedom, justice, and sovereignty are fundamen- tal and non-negotiable. We will fulfill our responsibility to defend the inal- ienable rights of our people by pursu- ing all available legal and diplomatic avenues to protect our national rights and confront this announced plan of aggression in line with internation- al law, and cooperate with states that share our values. We reaffirm our readiness to engage in a constructive and meaningful polit- ical effort on the basis of international law, relevant United Nations resolu- tions, and the Arab Peace Initiative. The Palestinians are ready to work with the international com- munity to achieve a reality of peace, d i g n i t y , a n d justice on this s o l i d f o u n d a - tion. Trump plan means injustice for Palestine Fadi Hanania is Ambassador of the State of Palestine "The plan presents a disconnected and unviable archipelago of Palestinian communities stripped of any sovereignty or viability, and denied of any control over borders, airspace, territorial waters, security, or natural resources" "It is a conceptually flawed, absolutist, and irresponsible agreement of surrender that the US administration wants to coerce Palestine into signing"