The Arab ministerial committee tasked with international action to counter illegal Israeli policies and measures in occupied Jerusalem on Monday agreed to support the resilience and empowerment of Jerusalemites in facing challenges and strengthening their presence in the city by providing all forms of development assistance and strengthening and protecting Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem.
اضافة اعلان
During a meeting held on the sidelines of the 166th regular session of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level, the committee also agreed to enhance cooperation and coordination with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to strengthen the common position and bolster joint Arab and Islamic efforts to protect occupied Jerusalem and safeguard its holy sites.
The efforts will include a joint ministerial meeting between the OIC and the Arab League on Jerusalem, scheduled to be held during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly this month in New York.
The committee also agreed to intensify efforts to urge the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to assume its responsibilities and adopt a firm international position requiring Israel, as the occupying power, to halt its ongoing violations and illegal practices against Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites.
It called for respect for the sanctity of holy sites and the right to freedom of worship, preservation of the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites, and compliance with relevant UN resolutions.
The committee agreed to continue mobilizing effective international support against attempts to alter the existing historical and legal status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif.
It also called for greater engagement with regional and international organizations to continue documenting Israeli violations in Jerusalem and at holy sites, as well as Israel’s breaches of international law, international humanitarian law and the UN Charter.
The committee further called for stronger Arab efforts and diplomatic contacts with influential international parties to push for restrictive and deterrent measures to halt attacks on holy sites, end settler terrorism, and ensure that Israeli occupation authorities are held accountable for violations and crimes committed in occupied Jerusalem.
It also called for a firm international position on such practices, warning of their serious repercussions for peace and security in the region and around the world.
The committee’s 11th meeting was held pursuant to Arab League Council Ministerial Resolution No. 8660, adopted on May 11, 2021, concerning Israeli aggression against occupied Jerusalem and its residents, including Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif and Sheikh Jarrah. The resolution called for the formation of an Arab ministerial committee to engage and communicate with permanent members of the UN Security Council and other countries, particularly those with international influence.
The committee, chaired by Jordan, includes Iraq, in its capacity as chair of the current 34th Arab Summit; Tunisia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain, as the Arab non-permanent member of the UN Security Council; Somalia, as a Security Council member; and the Secretary-General of the Arab League.
The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Arab League General Secretariat in Cairo on the sidelines of the 166th regular session of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level.
