• Co-hosts Israel-Palestine ‘peace forum’ at UNGA78
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has joined Qatar to condemn the invasion of Al-Aqsa mosque compound in East Jerusalem and attacks on Palestinian worshippers by a group of extremists under Israeli forces’ protection.
Muslim News gathered that the forces ejected worshippers from the mosque on Sunday, September 17, while denying access to Palestinians below the age of 50 “to clear the way for Israeli settlers on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.”
Israeli settlers accompanied and protected by an intensified presence of security forces made provocative incursions into the mosque.
The attack on worshippers is coming at a time world leaders are converging in New York, the United States of America, for the 78th United Nations General Assembly, which begins with a high-level debate on Tuesday, September 19.
Many countries have condemned the provocative act, including Saudi Arabia, which is currently co-hosting an event on the sidelines of the UNGA78, focusing on revamping the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs also holds Israel “fully responsible for the repercussions of these continued violations,” stressing its appeal to the international community to assume its responsibility and to end the escalation of the Israeli occupation.
Qatar made a similar statement, stressing that such acts are attempts to prejudice the religious and historical status of the holy site.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry joined Saudi Arabia in holding Israel responsible for the violence caused by the systematic escalation exerted by the Israeli occupation.
Palestine’s Foreign Ministry also responded to Israel’s assaults, condemning the violations and crimes committed by Israeli forces as well as settler militias and armed terrorist elements.
Co-hosts Israel-Palestine ‘peace forum’ at UNGA78
As at the time of filing this report on Monday, the ‘Peace Day Effort for Middle East Peace’, organised by Saudi Arabia, the Arab League, and EU, with Jordan and Egypt’s participation, is ongoing.
Saudi Arabia hosted another forum at the UN last year marking the 20th anniversary of the Arab Peace Initiative, a plan to recognise Israel if Palestinian statehood is achieved.
Many see this Arab League process as being undermined by the so-called Abraham Accords, when the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan unilaterally normalised relations with Israel in 2020.
Riyadh insists that Palestinians are at the centre of the US-led talks on normalisation initiative with Israel and invited a Palestinian authority delegation to Riyadh to put forward their demands.
…With additional information from Al Jazeera English and Morocco World News
