Cairo, July 22 (Petra) — The League of Arab States strongly
condemned calls by Israeli settler organizations for large-scale
incursions into the Al Aqsa Mosque compound to coincide with what
they refer to as the “anniversary of the destruction of the Temple,”
describing them as a dangerous escalation and a serious violation of
the historic and legal status quo at Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al
Sharif and an infringement on the sanctity of Islamic holy sites.

In a statement, the Arab League’s Palestine and Occupied Arab
Territories Sector said the calls, and any measures taken by the
Israeli authorities to facilitate or protect such actions, are part
of systematic Israeli policies aimed at imposing illegal facts on the
ground in occupied Jerusalem, in violation of international law and
relevant U.N. resolutions.

The Arab League’s General Secretariat held Israel, as the occupying
power, fully responsible for the consequences of these violations,
warning of their serious implications for regional security and
stability and their impact on prospects for peace.

The organization called on the international community, particularly
the U.N. Security Council, the United Nations and UNESCO, to fulfill
their legal responsibilities by taking urgent and concrete measures
to halt the violations, ensure the protection of the Al Aqsa Mosque
compound, preserve its historic and legal status quo, and respect the
Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in
Jerusalem.

The Arab League also reaffirmed its longstanding support for the
inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the
right to establish an independent and sovereign state on the pre-June
4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance
with international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative.

//Petra// AF