OIC calls to save Israel-Palestine peace channels

On behalf of the Group of Member States of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, in its capacity as Chair, the UAE has urged the international community to salvage the prospects of peace between Palestine and Israel during the UN Security Council quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question.

“At a time when there is a worrying rise in COVID-19 cases, Israel’s plan to unilaterally annex vast swathes of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, OPT, remains a looming threat,” the UAE stated in the formal submission to the Security Council.

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“OIC Member States are deeply concerned about these developments, which pose health, economic, social, and security challenges in the OPT We are determined to support the Palestinian people and protect the two-state solution, with a Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel in peace, security and mutual recognition.”

OIC Member States urged the international community to continue to exert pressure on Israel to prevent annexation plans, having repeatedly stated their rejection of annexation. They reiterated that the unilateral actions undermine the peace process and would have grave consequences for the stability and security of the region and beyond. In this regard, they demanded that Israel stop all its illegal actions, including wall and settlement construction, land confiscation, and the demolition of homes and properties.

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They also expressed concerns about Israeli restrictions on access to Islamic and Christian holy sites in the city of Jerusalem. They commended the efforts of Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, Custodian of Islamic and Christian Holy Sites in Al Quds Al Sharif, in protecting and preserving the city and its Islamic and Christian identity, as well as the continued efforts exerted by Moroccan King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al Quds Committee.