Jordanian foreign minister chairs Arab meeting to address Israeli actions in Jerusalem
LONDON: Ayman Safadi, Jordan's minister of foreign affairs and expatriates, chaired an Arab ministerial meeting to discuss Israeli policies in the occupied East Jerusalem.
Safadi led the ninth meeting of the Arab Ministerial Committee on Wednesday evening in Cairo, which took place on the sidelines of the 163rd regular session of the Council of the Arab League.
Representatives from Bahrain, Palestine, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, along with the secretary-general of the Arab League, issued a statement regarding Israeli actions in Jerusalem.
Palestinian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Varsen Aghabekian briefed the committee about Israel's home demolition policy in Jerusalem, attempts to erase Palestinian cultural heritage, and the arbitrary arrests of individuals, including children.
The committee emphasized the need for united Arab and international efforts to end the illegal Israeli occupation and address the human rights offences in Jerusalem, Petra, the Jordan News Agency, reported.
In 2024, Israeli authorities demolished 181 homes belonging to Palestinians in Jerusalem on the pretext of not having a building permit, which Israel rarely grants to residents of the city, according to rights groups.
The committee condemned the actions of Israel in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem, where Palestinian families face the threat of eviction. It also condemned the regular storming of the Al-Aqsa compound by Israeli settlers and far-right ministers, asserting that these actions threaten the site's sanctity and integrity.
It said Israeli policies represent 'clear violations of international law, escalating tensions and undermining the historical and legal identity of occupied Jerusalem,' Petra reported.
The ministers emphasized the significance of the Hashemite custodianship in preserving Jerusalem's religious identity and called for the establishment of a Palestinian state to pave the way for peace in the region.
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