Arab League calls on the international community to protect Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and halt Israeli aggression

Cairo, July 30 (KUNA) -- The Arab League called on the international community today, Thursday, to provide protection for Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, safeguard freedom of worship, and halt repeated Israeli assaults on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. This was stated in a speech by Faid Mustafa, Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League for the Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories sector, during the workshop on interfaith dialogue held in the Italian capital, Rome, according to a statement issued by the Arab League.

Ambassador Mustafa said that preserving Jerusalem’s identity as an Arab, Islamic, and Christian city, along with its historical and legal character, constitutes an international obligation. He warned against the dangers of Israeli occupation policies aimed at altering the existing historical and legal status quo in the city and undermining peace prospects.

He urged the international community to take practical and effective steps to stop Israeli violations of Islamic and Christian holy sites, ensure freedom of worship, and guarantee respect for international law.

He added that talk of peace cannot be divorced from the tragic reality endured by the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where humanitarian suffering and daily violations against Palestinian civilians continue.

He clarified that achieving just and lasting peace begins with ending the Israeli occupation and enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, within the borders of June 4, 1967.

He affirmed that the Arab League views positively any sincere international effort that contributes to strengthening the culture of peace and coexistence, but stressed that true peace can only be achieved by upholding rights, ending the occupation, and delivering justice to the Palestinian people.

Mustafa appealed to the religious and intellectual leaders participating in the workshop to raise the voice of the human conscience in defense of the Palestinian people and to work collectively toward a future characterized by peace based on justice, mutual respect, and human rights, emphasizing that Jerusalem must remain a symbol of convergence among religions, not a arena for conflict and exclusion. (End) M.M. / A.M.H.