Rabat - King Mohammed VI, Chairman of Al-Quds Committee, reiterated on Monday that Morocco supports any serious initiative aimed at ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state according to the 1967 borders, and with Jerusalem as its capital.
The Moroccan king made his statement to the participants of the 5th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, held this year in Jakarta.
The Moroccan monarch voiced hope that this extraordinary summit will be the prelude to a series of initiatives with the aim of securing peace and exerting “our determination to get out of this deadlock.” He expressed Morocco’s support for any serious initiative in accordance with UN resolutions and with the Arab peace initiative, sponsored by the OIC.
He also praised the participation of the international quartet in this extraordinary summit and its symbolic importance. The king also expressed his strong support for calling Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to hold an international peace conference aimed at ending the Israeli occupation. He also thanked France and other friendly countries for their tireless efforts and sponsorship of the initiative. The summit believes that resuming negotiations, according to a specific schedule and in accordance with international resolutions, is the only way to achieve a just and comprehensive solution to the conflict.
The Al-Quds Committee was established to defend Jerusalem, which is at the heart of this conflict, the Sovereign noted, adding that the presidency of the Committee is not "an honor nor a privilege, but a great responsibility before God and history."
"Due to my position as Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, when I stress the need to combine political action and diplomatic efforts with field work, it is because I believe in the need to focus efforts on improving the daily lives of Palestinians and supporting their resistance, without forgetting the contribution of international efforts to establish a just and lasting peace in the region,” the sovereign said.
"Defending occupied Palestinian land and protecting the holy city of Jerusalem against Zionist attempts, as well as supporting the resistant population, cannot be achieved with hollow slogans, let alone by exploiting this noble cause with sterile arguments. It is rather through efforts in favor of Palestine and Palestinians that we succeed," King Mohammed said.
He also stated that the OIC established an agency under the supervision of Al-Quds Committee (Bayt Mal Al Quds) in order to protect Al Quds against anything that could alter its genuine identity as a symbol of coexistence and peace, as well as provide assistance to the Palestinian people and institutions in the holy city.
The sovereign added that the agency was entrusted with the task of assisting the people of the holy city and NGOs in Jerusalem to provide the means for decent life in their city, contribute to the city’s preservation, protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other holy places—a s well as its civilizational, religious, and cultural heritage, and promote the history of the city of Al-Quds and its specific legal status, in accordance with international resolutions.
Mohammed VI also stressed that Morocco contributes 85 percent of the agency's budget, which allows the agency to carry on of a set of projects. He does this not out nationalistic pride, but because the Kingdom has always been committed to helping Palestinians. The king added that the door is wide open for all who wish to benefit from the agency's rich work on the ground with the people of Jerusalem.
“The Bayt Mal Al Quds Agency belongs to us all, on the basis of collective responsibility. We are called to support it and put it at the service of Jerusalem, its citizens, and all Muslims who have special affection for the first Qibla and the third holiest site of Islam," the sovereign pointed out.
King Mohammed VI noted that the Jakarta Summit is held during a delicate and difficult time on both regional and international levels. “We witness a resurgence of crises and the alarming increase of tensions in the Islamic world. In addition to the exacerbation of security and terrorist threats, we see the upsurge of extremism, sectarianism, and violence, all of which are rejected by Muslims. Yet, the enemies of Islam exploit these occurrences as a pretext to undermine their cultural and civilizational values, or as a means of distorting the essence of Islam,” he said.
“This Summit,” the Sovereign continued, “also coincides with the obvious violation of the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights by the Israeli occupation authorities, which undermines the Two-State solution. We reject their ongoing aggressive practices, as well as their occupation policy and expansion projects.”
Amidst all this, the sovereign concludes that he is confident that the results of the summit "can only be positive," adding that if it proves too difficult to achieve a just and lasting solution, the "we will have at least helped to promote the achievement of this objective, support our Palestinian brothers and sisters, and be by their side.”
The post King Mohammed VI Reiterates Morocco’s Support for Independent Palestinian State appeared first on Morocco World News.