OIC's Emergency Meeting Strongly Condemns Israeli Authorities for Aggressions against Palestinian People and Sanctities, Demands World Community to Sanction them

The emergency meeting of the Permanent Representatives Committee of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) thoroughly discussed, upon request from the State of Palestine, the situation in Palestine following the recent brutal attacks by the Israeli occupation forces on the Palestinian people, especially on the holy city of Al Quds and issued a strongly-worded statement, calling for immediate halt of Israeli aggression, holding Israel accountable of the grave consequences of its behavior against Al-Aqsa mosque worshippers during this holy fasting month of Ramadan and demanding the world community to shoulder its responsibility to enforce international order.
Referring to the principles and objectives of the Charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation; and based on the decisions issued by the regular and special sessions of the Islamic Summit and Councils of Foreign Ministers regarding Palestine and Al-Quds
in its virtual emergency meeting held on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 to discuss the attacks carried out by Israel, the occupying power, in the Palestinian territory, especially on the Holy City of Al-Quds, recalling all relevant United Nations resolutions, including 242 (1967), 252 (1968), 338 (1973), 465, 476 and 478; (1980), 1073 (1996) and 2334 (2016), and the conferences of the High Contracting States Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 regarding the applicability of the provisions of the convention to the territory of the State of Palestine, Al-Quds and the protection of civilians in times of war; and based on the historical, moral and legal responsibility of the Islamic nation towards the Palestinian cause and Al-Quds Al-Sharif, affirming that the central mission of the organization and the purpose of its existence is to preserve and protect the Holy City of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and its historical, spiritual and legal status, confront everything that might harm this position and take the necessary measures for the sake of achieving that end, the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation issued a 20-point final statement following today's meeting in Jeddah as follows:
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemns in the strongest terms the repeated assaults committed by the Israeli occupation authorities against the Palestinian people in Al-Quds Al-Sharif and the whole territories of the occupied State of Palestine, specifically the attacks that have been escalated since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan targeting the citizens of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and depriving them the access to the holy places to perform their religious rituals during the holy fasting month of Ramadan and the glorious Easter holidays, leading to the recent barbaric incursion of the Israeli occupation forces into the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and sanctities of worshipers.
OIC also condemns the Israeli occupation authorities' continuation of their colonial program in building settlements and seeking to forcibly seize Palestinian properties and forcibly displace them from their land, specifically the attacks against the residents of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhoods of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.
It also confirms that these attacks come within the context of continuous and systematic policies of the occupation authorities, through which they seek to alter the historical and legal status of the Holy City of Al-Quds and the territories of the occupied State of Palestine to pave the way for the implementation of the policy of final annexation and colonial expansion, a way that leads to destabilization of the region, threatens international peace and security and undermines the efforts being exerted by the UN to create a suitable atmosphere to launch a credible political process.
The statement condemns the widespread aggression of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, specifically the brutal bombing that deliberately targeting civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip, leading to the killing and wounding of a large number of people, including innocent children.
OIC calls on Member States for urgent action at all international levels, including the Security Council arena, to condemn the repeated Israeli occupation's disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians and work to stop this aggression and prevent its recurrence.
OIC holds the illegal occupation authority fully responsible for these sinful attacks, including the terror and brutality of the Israeli settlers against defenceless Palestinian citizens, citing the dangerous developments and repercussions that will result out of this.
OIC calls on the international community, specifically the UN Security Council, to live up to its responsibilities to stop the barbaric aggression against the Palestinian people and their properties in Al-Quds and the whole occupied State of Palestine and the Islamic and Christian holy sites, provide them with international protection, hold Israel accountable for these crimes, and impose sanctions on the colonial and apartheid system established on the land of the State of Palestine.
It also calls on the relevant international bodies, including the United Nations General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as the special rapporteurs, to implement the relevant international decisions and recommendations on one hand and to activate the necessary mechanisms to identify these violations, hold the perpetrators accountable and deter them on the other.
OIC stated that the Israeli occupation government should bear full responsibility for the terrorist and criminal acts committed against defenceless Palestinian citizens by the Israeli colonialists and their militias who enjoy protection and support of the occupation army, including the associations and organizations that seize Palestinian property.
It calls upon the member states and all relevant international parties to condemn them and take necessary measures against the perpetrators and the parties to which they belong, including placing them on the international terrorist lists.
OIC affirms that the Israeli judiciary and the occupation military courts are the spearhead in consolidating the occupation and the system of colonialism and apartheid in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Al-Quds Al-Sharif.
OIC also considers all decisions taken against Palestinian citizens are null and void and have no legal effect.
It calls on the ambassadors of member states and representatives of OIC to urgently convey to the countries and organizations accredited to them, specifically the capitals of the member states of the Security Council, the realities of the situation including OIC's stance towards it, demanding them to implement the decisions of the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations, stand up to its responsibilities and take the necessary measures to confront these attacks and stop them, by condemning and confronting them, holding the perpetrators accountable, stopping dealing with the colonial system that Israel established on the Palestinian territories, and not deal with it.
OIC urges world countries who have embassies in Israel not to move them to Al-Quds Al-Sharif or open representative offices in it. In this regard, it calls on the countries that have done so to undo this illegal step and, instead, implement the organization's previous decisions in this regard.
OIC expresses its disappointment that some international bodies share an unfair idea that both the Palestinians and Israeli are equally to blame and, accordingly, deal with the deteriorating and tense situation in Al-Quds Al-Sharif as being equal between the Israeli colonial occupation and the Palestinian people who suffer from occupation.
OIC affirms that the position of international law and international legitimacy decisions are clear about this situation as equalling the situation between the oppressor and the oppressed is unethical, inaccurate and unacceptable, and indicating the lack of seriousness to stop the escalation, in addition to the absence of a credible political process on the horizon.
In this regard, the organization called on the Security Council and the international Quartet parties, including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to unequivocally adhere to international references, condemn the Israeli colonial occupation measures in Al-Quds Al-Sharif and the Occupied Palestinian territory, and confront the actual annexation measures on the ground, including seizing the property of the Palestinian people, demolishing their homes, forcibly displacing them, and repeatedly being attacked by the occupation army.
OIC stressed its rejection and condemnation of any illegal positions, decisions and measures that might contribute to the consolidation of the Israeli occupation or alter the historical, legal and political status of the occupied city of Al-Quds, as this is a clear violation of international law and resolutions of international legitimacy, that contributes to undermining security and stability of the region, affirms its adherence to just and comprehensive peace, based on the two-state solution with East Al-Quds as the capital of the State of Palestine, according to international references, including the United Nations resolutions and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, and calls on the international community to move actively and seriously to achieve this solution.
OIC salutes the efforts of the Palestinian leadership and the Palestinian people everywhere, who defend their legitimate rights and their presence on their homeland, specifically in Al-Quds Al-Sharif, the eternal capital of the state of Palestine, and the preservation of its Arab identity and its Islamic and Christian sanctities.
The organization also pays tribute to the Palestinian people in Al-Quds for their brave stance and sacrifices in defence of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Christian sanctities and their properties in Sheikh Jarrah and all neighborhoods in Al-Quds Al-Sharif.
It affirms that the Palestinian issue and Al-Quds Al-Sharif will remain the central priority of the organization. OIC reiterates its firm stand by the Palestinian people in their endeavor to obtain their inalienable rights, on top of which is their right to self-determination, the embodiment of their independent state and repatriation to their homeland.
It affirms its commitment to all decisions issued by the relevant organization and its determination to continue working to support the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights and calls upon the member states to provide political, legal and material support, and provide all forms of support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in Holy Al-Quds and in all the land of the State of Palestine.
In this regard, it salutes the efforts of its Member States and General Secretariat, specifically the continuous efforts of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in defending the Holy City of Al-Quds and supporting the steadfastness of its people.
It emphasizes the importance of the historical Hashemite guardianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Al-Quds, and its role in protecting these sanctities and the legal and historical status existing in them, and preserving the Arab, Islamic and Christian identity of these sanctities.
OIC also affirms that the Jordanian administration of the endowments of Al-Quds and the blessed Al Aqsa Mosque is the only authority to manage all the affairs of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Haram Al-Sharif.
OIC appreciates the role played by the presidency of Al-Quds Committee for the Protection of Sacred Places in Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and its stance in the face of the measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities with the aim of Judaizing the Holy City.
OIC, herewith, calls for an emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of its member states or a plenary meeting of the Executive Committee at the ministerial level as soon as possible in order to review the situation.
OIC is resolved to address these serious violations within the United Nations General Assembly, given that the informal meeting of the UN Security Council that was held on May 10, 2021 did not reach any substantive result, as the President of the United Nations General Assembly has called for an emergency session of the General Assembly to discuss these these heinous developments, in order to put an end to the atrocities committed against the Palestinian people and ensure accountability for these crimes and to provide international protection for the Palestinian civilian population.
OIC called on the Islamic group at the United Nations to engage with other countries and facilitate international efforts to establish an international mechanism to protect the Palestinian civilian population with the aim of ensuring the credibility of securing their safety and well-being, in a number of ways, including sending international protection forces and ensuring accountability for violations of their rights and freedoms.
Finally, OIC affirms adhering to the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to end the occupation, gain freedom and independence, embody the independent and sovereign Palestinian state with its eternal capital, Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and continue to work at all levels and with states and international organizations to achieve this end.