The Arab League foreign ministers tasked on Thursday the organization’s General Secretariat with preparing a comprehensive plan to confront the US decision or the decision of any other country to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The decision was taken during an emergency Arab League meeting held in Cairo in wake of Washington’s relocation on Monday of its embassy to Jerusalem and the ensuing Gaza border protests that saw some 60 Palestinians killed by Israeli troops.
Chaired by Saudi Arabia, the ministers also tasked the General Secretariat with immediately forming an international independent panel of experts to address the crimes and massacres committed by the Israeli forces against the Gaza demonstrators.
The foreign ministers renewed their rejection and condemnation of Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, decrying it as a blatant violation of international law and related United Nations resolutions and a threat to international peace and security.
They also condemned Guatemala for relocating its embassy to Jerusalem on Wednesday, saying that the Arab League member-states will take the necessary political and economic measures to counter the move.
The ministers called on the international community and UN Security Council to follow up on the implementation of their resolutions related to Jerusalem.
The issue of Jerusalem is one of the factors in the final solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and it must therefore be resolved through negotiations and related Security Council resolutions, they added.
They thanked countries and organizations that rejected the US embassy move, condemning others for taking part in Monday’s inauguration ceremony.
They also hailed the heroic Palestinian people and their sacrifices in defending their land and rights against Israeli policies.
Moreover, the Arab ministers demanded that the UN Security Council, General Assembly and General Secretary, as well as the Human Rights Council and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, take the necessary measures to launch an international investigation committee to probe the recent Gaza unrest and ensure that Israeli officials do not escape justice for their crimes.
The officials reiterated their commitment to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the 2002 Arab peace initiative.
