Arab League warns against repercussions of decisions to violate Jerusalem

CAIRO – 2 February 2018: Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned on Thursday of the Arab League’s ministerial meeting on Palestine, against the repercussions of any decisions aiming to violate the status of Jerusalem.

In his speech during an Arab League Council meeting at the level of foreign ministers, he stated that the US decision to reduce its contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) will also pose a threat to the refugee issue. Negative consequences will not only affect the countries receiving refugees, but also the stability and security of the region.


The U.S., by far the largest contributor to UNRWA, announced on January 16 that Washington would withhold $65 million of $125 million it had planned for the agency this year. The UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from U.N. member states.

The Arab League welcomed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly passing a non-binding resolution on December 21 condemning Trump’s decision. It also called on states not to move their diplomatic missions to Jerusalem.

The Arab foreign ministers renewed their rejection of President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and asserted their support to all decisions by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas under the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization, in the face of recognition by the US administration of Jerusalem as the capital of the occupying state.

They affirmed the right of the Palestinian people to exercise all forms of struggle against the occupation, in accordance with the provisions of international law.

They also hailed Egypt’s Al-Azhar international conference for backing Jerusalem as the main capital of occupied Palestine, under the auspices of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

The two-day conference adopts the motto of "World Conference in Support of Jerusalem", and witnesses the participation of prominent national, regional and international figures such as Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed al-Tayyeb, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark Tawadros II, Arab Parliament chief Meshaal bin Fahm al-Salmi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The ministers called on the Palestinian factions and forces to speed up the completion of national reconciliation in accordance with the Cairo Agreement signed in May 2011 and the latest Cairo 2017 agreement which enable the National Reconciliation Government to assume its full responsibilities in the Gaza Strip and hold general elections as soon as possible.

The ministerial meeting was scheduled to be held in the beginning of February, based on what was decided by the Arab ministerial meeting held in Jordan on January 6.

The Arab peace initiative committee convened on Thursday for an emergency meeting at the level of foreign ministers at the premises of the general secretariat of the Arab League.

The meeting was chaired by Jordan to probe the latest developments pertaining to Jerusalem, in light of the recent decision by the U.S .to recognize the holy city as the capital of Israel.

The Arab peace initiative committee comprises Egypt, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iraq, Palestine, Qatar, Lebanon, Morocco and Yemen, along with the Arab League secretary general.

On December 6, U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel by announcing the relocation of the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This decision was condemned and rejected by all Arab and Islamic countries, as well as most Western and Asian countries.

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets to denounce the American announcement on Jerusalem in different cities across the world.

On December 19, Palestine’s Safa news agency revealed that Israel planned to inaugurate a synagogue near Al-Buraq Wall (Western Wall).

On December 21, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution condemning Trump’s decision. It also called on states not to move their diplomatic missions to Jerusalem.