Mohammed Abu Zaid
CAIRO: Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed his total rejection of any Israeli attempts to change the historical and legal status quo of Jerusalem.
Abdoul Gheit’s stance came in response to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s statements on Sunday, when he said that his country is “the sovereign over Jerusalem, regardless of any external considerations, and will take all decisions related to Al-Aqsa Mosque and the city,” according to a statement by his office.
The Arab League chief deplored “the attempt to violate the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque, which restricts the right of prayer to Muslims only, which may ignite a cycle of violence that threatens security and stability in the region.”
An official source at the league’s general secretariat quoted Aboul Gheit as saying: “The talk about any alleged Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites represents a flagrant violation of international law, and a violation of international legitimacy resolutions that no one recognizes.”
The source added that Aboul Gheit “stressed the Arab League’s firm position in defending Palestinian rights and supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, their leadership and institutions in defending East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state.”
