League of Arab States Welcomes UNESCO Resolutions on Jerusalem

Cairo, 14 Muharram 1438/15 October 2016 (MINA) – The League of Arab States has commended the voting of UNESCO’s executive council, for adopting the resolutions regarding Palestine which referred to it as “Occupied Palestine,” WAM reported.

Said Abu Ali, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Palestinian and Arab Occupied Territories Sector of the League of Arab States, said in a statement on Friday, “This is a historic day for Jerusalem and the Islamic holy shrines. The resolutions explicitly express the Palestinian Arab rights backed by the law and legitimate international resolutions.”

He applauded all the member states who backed the truth and the Arab Palestinian Initiative in this respect.

The resolutions proposed by several countries were adopted by the UNESCO’s executive body. Participants said 24 votes were cast in favour and six against with 26 abstentions and two absentees.

The resolutions referred to “Occupied Palestine” and aimed to “safeguard the Palestinian cultural heritage and the distinctive character of East Jerusalem,” according to the text, which refers to Israel as an “occupying power.” (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)