The Arab League held “the Israeli government responsible for inflaming tensions and igniting the situation,” reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
The Arab League condemned on Monday Israeli forces and settlers for breaking into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem.
In a statement, the Arab League held “the Israeli government responsible for inflaming tensions and igniting the situation.”
The Cairo-based pan-Arab bloc described the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the arrest of a number of Palestinians inside it as a flagrant violation of international law, saying the Israeli move has provoked feelings of Palestinians and Muslims in general.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli police broke into the holy site in the Old City of Jerusalem to remove Muslim worshippers and provide a safe ground for ultranationalist Jews marking the Jewish New Year (from Sept. 25 to 27 this year), official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
In a separate statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the Israeli provocative practices are “serious violation and dangerous escalation that undermine the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian cause on the basis of the two-state solution.”
It warned that the continuation of aggression in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque puts more obstacles in the way of resuming the peace process.
‘No longer partner in peace process’
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Israel has decided not to be a partner of Palestine in the peace process and that it will be treated as such.
“It is clear that Israel, which is ignoring the resolutions of international legitimacy, has decided not to be our partner in the peace process,” said Abbas in his speech to the General Debate of the UN General Assembly.
Israel has undermined the Oslo Accords, which it signed with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), he said, adding that it has and still is, through its premeditated and deliberate policies, destroying the two-state solution, he said.
“This proves unequivocally that Israel does not believe in peace. It believes in imposing a status quo by force and by aggression.
“Therefore, we do not have an Israeli partner anymore to whom we can talk. Israel is thus ending its contractual relationship with us,” said Abbas.
Palestine does not accept to remain the only party respecting the agreements it has signed with Israel in 1993. Those agreements are not valid anymore because of the persisting violations of Israel, he said.
“Therefore, it is our right, rather, our obligation to look for other means, to recover our rights and to achieve a peace built on justice, including the implementation of the resolutions that were adopted by our leadership, especially our parliament,” said Abbas.
The state of Palestine will also start the accession process to join other international organizations, he said.
Abbas called on the UN Secretary-General to work relentlessly to elaborate on an international plan to end the occupation of the land of Palestine to achieve peace, security and stability in the region, in line with UN resolutions and with the Arab Peace Initiative.
“The state of Palestine is looking forward to peace. Let us make this peace to live in security, stability, and prosperity for the benefit of our generation and all the people of the region,” he said.
Two-state solution
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye has urged his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid to prove his support for the two-state solution by stopping settlement building and ending the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.
“Whoever claims to believe in the two-state solution must stop settlements, lift the siege on Gaza, open Jerusalem and stop the settlers’ repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa mosque, which have reached their climax today,” Ishtaye said on Monday during the weekly cabinet meeting, according to an official statement.
In his address to the UN General Assembly last week, Lapid said a large majority of Israelis, including him, “support the vision of the two-state solution” despite all obstacles, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Palestinian Prime Minister called for an international movement to protect the Palestinian people, hold Israel accountable for its actions and practices, and end the occupation.
The last direct peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, sponsored by the US, broke down in 2014 over their deep differences on the issues of borders, security and settlement.
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