Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the present conflict involving Israel and Palestine can never be resolved by nations and institutions taking sides.
Nigeria had in 2014 abstained from voting for a UN security council resolution demanding an end to Israeli occupation of Palestine within three years after Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and then US Secretary of State John Kerry called Jonathan.
But commenting via a post on his social media handles on Monday, Jonathan said “I have been to both Israel and Palestine, and as a result, I have some understanding and appreciation of the human angles on both divides.
“Borders are often human constructs, but the Divine instruction we have is to love our neighbor as ourselves.
“The present conflict in that part of the world can never be resolved by nations and institutions taking sides.
“It can only be resolved by those living within the borders of Israel and Palestine taking time to understand each other until they come to a place where they can coexist, co-prosper and eventually cooperate.
“For that to happen, what is needed, in the immediate term, is a ceasefire, followed by massive confidence building on both sides.
“That is what the international community should aim for. Peace. It is achievable.
“I sue for peace in both Israel and Palestine, and urge that every international support should be towards deescalating the conflict, rather than escalating it.”
