Arab League Secretary-General calls for urgent action to confront occupation policies in Jerusalem
Cairo, Aug 5 (KUNA) -- Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy called on Wednesday for an urgent Arab response to counter Israeli occupation policies in occupied Jerusalem aimed at altering the city’s historical and legal status.
In a statement, the Arab League said Fahmy made these remarks during a speech at a meeting of the Arab Ministerial Committee tasked with mobilizing international action against Israel’s illegal policies and measures in occupied Jerusalem, held in the Jordanian capital, Amman.
Fahmy said that the risks and threats facing Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are escalating as the occupation seeks to change the historical, legal, and demographic status quo in the Old City and the Noble Sanctuary. He added that extremist settlers affiliated with the religious far-right in the occupying state are attempting to transform the conflict with Palestinians from a resolvable political dispute into a religious one, emphasizing that Jerusalem is the primary target of these plans due to its religious and symbolic significance.
He clarified that these practices necessitate launching a diplomatic, legal, and media campaign to expose the dimensions of the Israeli plot to the international community, warning of the dangerous repercussions that could result from the continuation of violations or interference with the religious sentiments of Muslims and Christians.
He pointed to the ongoing Israeli plot to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque temporally and spatially, similar to what occurred at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, as well as efforts to undermine the role of the Jordanian Waqf in an attempt to strip Al-Aqsa of one of its most important protective mechanisms and defend its identity, historical status, and legal standing.
He considered that this plot is being implemented through the increasing incursions of settlers into Al-Aqsa under the protection of occupation police, as part of attempts to impose a new reality that contradicts international law.
Fahmy stressed that defending Al-Aqsa is not limited to protecting holy sites but also includes supporting the resilience of Jerusalemites who have faced systematic policies for years aimed at displacing them and emptying Jerusalem of its Arab population, both Muslim and Christian, through the expansion of settlements, isolating the city from its Palestinian surroundings, and erasing its national identity.
He called for the implementation of a comprehensive Arab program to support Jerusalemites and enhance their resilience, emphasizing that their presence in the city constitutes the first line of defense against plans to Judaize Jerusalem.
He added that Palestinians in Jerusalem face increasing challenges, including the closure of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) offices and crises affecting the education and health sectors, in addition to house demolition policies and restrictions on housing, which necessitate the implementation of development projects that contribute to stabilizing the population in their city and thwarting displacement plans.
He called on the Arab Ministerial Committee on occupied Jerusalem and the Arab League’s offices and missions to play an active role and mobilize international support for the Palestinian cause, expressing hope that the statement to be issued by the ministerial meeting would reach international organizations, relevant bodies, and friendly states to alert them to the seriousness of current developments and emphasize the necessity of holding the Israeli occupation accountable for its continuous violations.
He stressed that the absence of accountability encourages the occupation to continue violations and disregard international law and international humanitarian law, which consider East Jerusalem as occupied territory.
The Arab Ministerial Committee tasked with mobilizing international action against Israel’s illegal policies and measures in occupied Jerusalem is chaired by Jordan, with Iraq holding the current chairmanship of the Arab League Council. It also includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine, and Somalia, along with the Arab League Secretary-General. (End) MM / TM A
