Dozens of leaders and senior officials from Arab and Islamic countries gathered on Sunday in Cairo to warn Israeli that its actions in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria could worsen regional turmoil, The Associated Press reported.
The meeting was hosted by the Arab League and attended by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, along with many foreign ministers and senior officials, according to AP.
The high-level gathering came amid the recent wave of terrorism, most recently Friday’s attack in Jerusalem in which three Israelis were killed, including two boys aged six and eight.
Speakers at the meeting condemned Israel’s “unilateral measures” in statements, including home demolitions and expansion of “settlements”.
They also condemned visits by Israeli officials to the Temple Mount and voiced support for Jordan’s role as custodian of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Calling Jerusalem “the backbone of the Palestinian cause,” Al-Sisi warned of dire repercussions of any Israeli move to change the status quo of the holy site, saying they would “negatively impact” future negotiations to settle the Israeli-Palestinian Arab conflict.
He added that such measures would impede the two-state solution, which would leave “both parties and the whole Middle East with difficult and grave options.”
King Abdullah II also called for Israel to “cease its violations and incursions” into the Al-Aqsa Mosque, saying, according to AP, “The region cannot live in peace, stability, and prosperity without any progress made on the Palestinian cause.”
Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, the secretary-general of the pan-Arab organization, also warned that attempts to partition the Al-Aqsa Mosque and obliterate its Arab and Islamic identity “would fuel endless unrest and violence.”
Meanwhile, Abbas once again threatened that the PA would resort to the United Nations and its agencies.
“The State of Palestine will continue going to international courts and organizations to protect our people’s legitimate rights,” he was quoted as having said.
Even though the participants at Sunday’s summit criticized Israel, it is, in fact, the PA and Abbas himself who have resisted overtures for peace and have continued to incite against Israel, leading to terrorist attacks.
Abbas has repeatedly pushed for an international conference for peace in the Middle East, aimed at bypassing the US efforts to resume talks.
Israeli-PA peace talks have been stalled since 2014, when the PA unilaterally applied to join international organizations in breach of the conditions of the talks.
In December, Abbas gave a speech in which he called on the international community not to deal with any Israeli government that does not recognize the principles of international legitimacy.
Previously, Abbas criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he would have to deal with Netanyahu even though he believed Netanyahu was not interested in making peace.
"I knew Netanyahu for a long time, since the 1990s ... He is a man who doesn't believe in peace but I have no other choice but to deal with him," Abbas said.