UAE participates in Arab meeting on confronting Israeli aggression

The meeting was held today at the invitation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in its capacity as Chair of the Committee, to deliberate ways to confront the continuous Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the resultant serious repercussions on the situation in Al-Quds Al-Sharif.

The committee includes the following members: the United Arab Emirates; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; the State of Palestine; the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria; the State of Qatar; the Arab Republic of Egypt; the Kingdom of Morocco; the Republic of Tunisia (Chair of the current Arab Summit); and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.

The committee’s meeting discussed the dangerous developments taking place at Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Quds Al-Sharif, including the existing tensions and the Israeli aggressions and measures.

Featuring high on the meeting's agenda was taking a joint Arab action to stop the Israeli attacks and violations against the holy sites, ending violence and restoring comprehensive calm, emphasising the need to respect the legal and historical status quo of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Haram Al-Sharif, and exploring ways to revive the peace process in the foreseeable future to achieve the two-state solution.

The committee members listened to a presentation by its chairman, Ayman Hussein Al Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in Jordan, and Dr. Riyad Al Malki, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in the State of Palestine, on the latest developments in the city of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque and the illegal Israeli measures against the Palestinians.

The meeting issued a statement condemning the Israeli attacks and violations against worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, which escalated perilously over the past days of Ramadan. The statement warned that such Israeli measures threaten to ignite a cycle of violence and pose a menacing threat to security and stability in the region and the world.

The statement rejected all illegal practices aimed at changing the legal and historical status quo of Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as any attempt to divide the holy site in terms of time and space. It stressed the need for Israel to respect the historical and legal status quo in Al-Haram Al-Sharif and return to what it was before the year 2000 in a way that maintains the fact that Al-Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims, and that visits to it for non-Muslims are organised by the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments and Islamic and Sanctuaries Affairs, in its capacity as the legal authority invested with exclusive jurisdiction to manage Al-Haram Al-Sharif's affairs, including all entry procedures therein.

The statement referred in this regard to the Hashemite Custodianship of Jerusalem held by King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein and His Majesty's role in tending Muslim and Christian holy sites in the city of Jerusalem.

The statement affirmed support for the Palestinian people and all their legitimate rights, foremost of which is their right to freedom and to an independent and sovereign state according to the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of the two-state solution in accordance with international law, the Arab Peace Initiative and other relevant international references.

The statement called on the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to take immediate and effective action to stop the illegal Israeli practices in Jerusalem and Al-Haram al-Sharif.

The members of the Arab Ministerial Committee and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, in coordination with the Arab countries, discussed making contacts with the international community and international organisations in order to clarify the danger of these practices in Jerusalem, and to push for an effective international position to discourage Israel from these measures and get it to respect international law and restore comprehensive calm.

After the ministerial meeting, His Majesty King Abdullah II received the heads of delegations of the Arab countries participating in the meeting and reviewed with them the results of their meeting.