Egypt Re-affirms Advocacy of Palestinian Rights
Jakarta, 28 Jumadil Awwal 1437/08 March 2016 (MINA) – Egyptian Foreign Minister Samih Shukri on Monday expressed anew his country’s faith in the right of Palestinian people in gaining their lawful rights in establishing an independent state, with eastern Jerusalem as its capital, as well as solving the refugees’ crisis according to the resolutions of international legitimacy.
He added in his speech at the opening of the extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that achieving comprehensive justice for the Palestinian cause is the key for peaceful coherent coexistence in the Middle East.
Building settlements is the major obstacle against peace opportunities, undermining implementation of the UN two states’ resolution, which is the main pillar in any expected peace agreement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, he said.
Shukri expressed his country’s concern at the aggressive assault on occupied Jerusalem, especially that the Israeli forces are working to change the landmarks of the city and mess up with the demographic situation of its people, as well as tightening the noose on them in order to force them to abandon their lands and later destroy their houses and confiscate their properties, besides issuing regulations to withdraw their identity papers, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) quoted KUNA as reporting.
Jerusalem is suffering from an onslaught that threatens its existence as an Islamic capital as the Israeli occupying forces are isolating it geographically and economically, besides continuing to construct the illegal and racist separation barrier, he added.
The minister called for supporting the people of Jerusalem who are suffering from the worst from of discrimination and persecution as being the first line in encountering the continuous judaization activities, he said.
This support is represented in preparing a direct program to assist them in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority to pay the fees set on their lands, besides purchasing lands in order to execute their residential projects, he mentioned.
Gaza Strip is facing deteriorating humanitarian conditions, along with the continuous Israeli siege of the Strip for more than eight years, he said.
Egypt despite its fight against terrorism, especially in northern Sinai Peninsula, is also working to alleviate the sufferings of the people of the Strip by facilitating the traffic of humanitarian aid and transport of urgent cases through Rafah border crossing, he added.
Egypt is calling on donors’ countries to fulfill their vows, made at the Strip of Gaza reconstruction conference held in October 2014 in Cairo, besides enhancing joint Islamic work to set pressure on Israel to lift the siege and re-open the six crossings connecting the Strip to Israel, in addition to offering basic needs for its people especially the means needed to reconstruct the city, he affirmed.
The situation in the Palestinian territories is getting worse without any hope for close political results as the peace process needs a push to reach a final settlement according to the two states’ solution, the minister said.
Statement of OIC Secretary General
For his part, OIC Secretary General Ayad Madani expressed the Organization support to achieve a Palestinian comprehensive reconciliation which results in forming a national unity cabinet, calling for elections to try offer the best for serving the people, he added.
“Without unity the Palestinian cause will be exhausted and the Palestinians will be prone to dispersion,” he affirmed.
The failure in Palestinian-Israeli negotiations which took place for quarter a century, besides the occupation racist polices will only make the situation worse, he said.
He expressed hope in reviving the French initiative in finding an international supporting group for the Palestinian cause, in addition to holding an international peace conference in order to end the Israeli occupation and achieve the vision of two states’ resolution, he added.
He asked for revitalizing the Quartet to practice again its mediation role in a new peace process.
He welcomed the United States commitment to peace and the two states’ resolution, and endorsed decent stances of the US President Barack Obama and his Secretary of State John Kerry on that matter, while noting the internal political situation in US will not allow them to play an individual role in the peace process.
The ministerial team on Jerusalem affiliated to Jerusalem Committee exerted diplomatic efforts in year 2015 to convey the message of OIC and its stance in reflecting the dangers posed on the city, and working for reaching means to boost an active role pf the international community in supporting the peace process, he said.
OIC is working hardly in backing the resistance of the Palestinian people in Jerusalem with its civil society educational and health institutions to encounter the Israeli occupation.
The participants have approved the meeting agenda and summit work program, besides hearing the conclusion of the preparatory ministerial meeting, given by the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi, he mentioned.
The Kuwaiti participating delegation is headed by the representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, includes Kuwait Consul General in Jeddah Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the OIC Saleh Al-Saqoubi, besides Kuwaiti Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister for International Organizations Ambassador Nasser Al-Hein, and Kuwait’s Ambassador to Indonesia Abdulwahab Al-Saqer. (R07/R01)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
