The ninth International Conference on the Holy City of Jerusalem concluded in Ramallah on Thursday with the publication of an official statement claiming that “the occupied city of Al-Quds is the eternal capital of Palestine.”
Yusef Edais, the Palestinian Authority (PA) official in charge of religious affairs who read out the statement, called on the Palestinian Arab public to unite behind the PLO, the only legitimate representative of the Palestinians, in support of the efforts of PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas to achieve national reconciliation.
The PA official also said that Muslims from abroad were allowed to visit Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy sites of Islam and Christianity in order to protect Al-Quds and the holy sites.
Some Muslim clerics claim that Muslims are forbidden to visit Jerusalem at the present time because this may be interpreted as recognition of the “Israeli occupation” of the city.
During the conference, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Heritage Restoration Institute and the Turkish Archive. The PA is interested in using the Ottoman archives to establish its claim of ownership of the land.