Arab parliament approves to block Israel’s candidacy to UNSC

(MENA) – The Arab Parliament (AP) approved during a session on Thursday a plan drawn up by its Palestine Committee to block Israel’s candidacy to a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for 2019-2020.

Rapporteur of the Palestine Committee Azzam Al Ahmad said the Arab decisions pertaining to the holy city of Al Quds (Jerusalem) should be supported on the ground especially as regards the financial side, adding that Al Quds Fund and the Palestinian people need backing from all parties.

He also said an agreement has been reached to hold a meeting by the Arab Lawyers Union to outline a plan to sue Israel before the international courts of justice for its crimes against the Palestinians.

Ahmad lashed out at the US for its stand from the Palestinians, he added.

He slammed Guatemala’s decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, calling for an Arab move at the highest levels and convening an emergency Arab summit on Al Quds.

Meanwhile, Head of the Arab Affairs Committee at the Egyptian parliament Saad al Gamal praised the plan to counter Israel’s candidacy for a UNSC seat, noting that Israel poses the most serious threat to regional peace and security.

He also said Arab moves are focused on obtaining a full membership at the UN for Palestine and utilizing the international moves to block Israel’s candidacy.

The plan called for ending the Palestinian division and urged Palestinian factions to abide by a reconciliation agreement signed in Cairo. It also called for continuing Egypt’s role in the Palestinian reconciliation process and removing all impediments standing in the way of ending inter-Palestinian frictions.

It also called for coordinating stances with the Arab Parliamentary Union (AIPU) and the Arab national parliaments to include an item on the legal and historical status of Al Quds on the agenda of the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s upcoming session, set for 24-28 March 2018.

The outlined plan also called on the AP’s head to continue contacts with the UN secretary-general and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to urge them to immediately intervene to halt the Israeli settlement building activities on Palestinian lands and flagrant violations committed by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian people.

It also urged the AP chief to contact the countries which voted against the UN General Assembly’s decision issued on December 21 to call on the US to withdraw its controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli “capital”, to convince them to review their decision and abide by relevant international resolutions pertaining to the Palestinian issue.