OIC Jeddah Meeting Stresses Jerusalem Is a ‘Red Line’

Gulf

April 26th, 7:04am

Jeddah - Saeed al-Abyad

The OIC held an extraordinary meeting for its executive committee in Jeddah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) re-affirmed its rejection of Israel's attempts to change the legal and historical status of occupied Jerusalem City. In an extraordinary meeting for the OIC executive committee in Jeddah, the group stressed that Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are a "red line" for the Muslim nation. It released a final communique emphasizing that a comprehensive and fair peace will be only achieved by ending the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestine state with Jerusalem as its capital. The conferees stated that all measures taken by Israel - as an illegitimate occupation power - to impose its laws on Jerusalem are null and void. They called on the international community to respect international resolutions on Jerusalem, with the aim of pressing Israel to end its illegal occupation of the land of the State of Palestine occupied in 1967. They addressed a number of international actors, expressing the organization's rejection and condemnation of Israeli attempts to impose measures on Al-Aqsa Mosque, and demanded urgent action from the international community to put an end to the Israeli violations against the holy places. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia condemned the repeated attacks and Israeli provocative violations and called on the international community to act effectively. Secretary-General of the OIC Hissein Brahim Taha reiterated the organization’s total commitment and support for the right of the Palestinian people to sovereignty over their occupied land. He also underlined the religious and spiritual centrality of the city and the eternal connection of Muslims across the world to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the OIC, Saleh bin Hamad Suhaibani delivered a statement, saying Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque King Salman bin Abdulaziz had declared during his presidency of the 29th Arab Summit in Dhahran that “Palestine is our first cause and Palestine and its people are in the conscience of Arab and Muslims.” “This will continue to be so until the brotherly Palestinian people get all their legitimate rights, notably the establishment of the State of Palestine. The cause of Palestine is the essential pillar of the OIC work and the focus of our attention until the brotherly people of Palestine enjoy all their rights guaranteed by international resolutions and the Arab peace initiative.” Suhaibani stated that while Saudi Arabia strongly condemns and denounces the repeated and provocative Israeli onslaught and aggression against worshippers in at Al-Aqsa Mosque, it persistently calls on the international community to act effectively to assume its role in holding Israeli forces fully responsible for those crimes and violations and their negative repercussion on reviving the peace process.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3612946/oic-jeddah-meeting-stresses-jerusalem-%E2%80%98red-line%E2%80%99