A delegation from the Arab Community Conference in the United Kingdom attended the official inauguration of the Embassy of the State of Palestine in London, during a ceremony marked by official and public attendance.
The Palestinian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Dr Husam Zomlot, formally inaugurated the embassy and unveiled its new plaque, marking the official transformation of the Palestinian mission in the UK into a fully-fledged embassy, equivalent to other diplomatic missions worldwide. A delegation from the Arab Community Conference in the UK was among the attendees.
Previously, the United Kingdom recognised the Palestine Liberation Organisation and treated its representation in London as a diplomatic mission below embassy status. This upgrade follows the completion of legal procedures after the UK’s formal recognition of the State of Palestine in September.
In his speech at the embassy premises in London, Ambassador Zomlot thanked the British government and the British public, describing the step as historic. He stated: “This embassy represents a symbol of hope that peace is not only possible but inevitable, when it is grounded in justice, dignity, and equality.”
He described the inauguration as recognition of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and equality among nations. He added: “For a people deprived of the right to self-determination for more than a century, this is a historic moment. Today, the Palestinian community in Britain has a second homeland — a piece of Palestine on British soil.”
Zomlot said the inauguration represents a long-awaited milestone, particularly in the United Kingdom, where he linked the origins of the Palestinian tragedy to the Balfour Declaration. He stated that the upgrade to full embassy status reflects both the long struggle of the Palestinian people over a century and the solidarity of the British public with Palestinian rights, especially in light of the suffering in Gaza over the past two years.
During the ceremony, the Palestinian flag was raised and the new embassy plaque was unveiled. A young man from Gaza, a survivor of the recent war injuries, addressed the audience, sharing his experience of surviving the conflict while sustaining multiple injuries, and speaking about the continued suffering of his family in Gaza. He expressed hope of one day becoming an ambassador for Palestine after the end of the occupation.
Mohammad Amin, Editor-in-Chief of Arab London and a member of the Arab Community Conference in the UK, stated that the diplomatic struggle is inseparable from the Palestinian people’s broader century-long struggle for liberation from what he described as one of the most violent occupations in modern history.
He stressed that the battle for public opinion and civic pressure must focus on ensuring accountability for those responsible for crimes, alongside achieving justice for the Palestinian people. He added that Britain’s recognition of Palestine carries particular symbolic weight given its historical role in the Balfour Declaration, which he linked to the Palestinian Nakba, displacement, and the establishment of the state of Israel. He emphasised the importance of political engagement within the UK, especially given growing public support for the Palestinian cause.
The ceremony was attended by diplomats, senior officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, members of the diplomatic corps, Palestinian community leaders in the UK, and members of the Arab Community Conference in the United Kingdom.
