Arab group warns against continued aggressions on Palestinians

The council of Arab ambassadors in Vienna called on the international community on Friday to apply pressures on the Israeli occupation authorities to stop their policy of aggression against the Palestinian people and respect the relevant UN resolutions.
The aggressive approach of the Israeli government to the Islamic and Christian sacred sites in the occupied city of Jerusalem runs counter to international laws and conventions relating to the protection of holy sites, Kuwait Ambassador to Austria and representative to the UN agencies in Vienna Sadeq Marafi said.
Ambassador Marafi made the comments in his capacity as head of the council of Arab ambassadors during a meeting by the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, observed on November 29.
"Our meeting today coincides with serious developments in the holy city of Jerusalem where the Israeli tampering with the sanctities, most notably Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, risks triggering a religious war that could exceed the borders of Palestine," he warned.
"The Israeli occupation authorities banned 'Al-Athan (the prayer announcement) at Al-Aqsa Mosque for the first time since the occupation of the holy city in June, 1967, while the extremist Jewish groups continue their incursions into the Mosque under direct protection from the Israeli security forces.
"When the Palestinians protested against such malpractices, the Israeli forces used live ammunition, stun guns and poisonous gas against them," Ambassador Marafi said.
He called on the international community to adopt a serious action in order to force Israel into stopping such grave violations immediately.
He also urged upgrading the status of the State of Palestine at the UN to a full member, noting that this is a legitimate right for any peace-loving nation pursuant to the UN Charter.
Based on the provisions of the UN Charter and the right to self-determination, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to accord Palestine 'Non-Member Observer State' Status on November 29, 2012, he recalled.
Ambassador Marafi reminded that the continued failure of the international community to find a fair, comprehensive and permanent solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will remain as a source of instability in the Middle East region and beyond.
Reaffirming full support to Palestine bid for full membership, the Arab group of states expresses profound gratitude to the friendly Kingdom of Sweden for its recent right and bold decision to recognize the State of Palestine.
The Arab group also welcomed overwhelming vote (274-12) by the British House of Commons on Monday in favor of UK recognition of the Palestinian State.
The group believes that the symbolic motion reflects the support of the British people to the legitimate rights of the Palestinians and calls on other nations to follow suit, Ambassador Marafi said.
"Israel seeks to maintain the status quo and deny the Palestinians all political, economic, social and cultural rights enshrined in the UN Charter and the two covenants of 1966, he said, referring to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
Ambassador Marafi concluded by thanking the UN committee for its efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people and back their legitimate rights. In 1977, the General Assembly called for the annual observance of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (resolution 32/40 B). On that day, in 1947, the Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine (resolution 181 (II)).
In resolution 60/37 of 1 December 2005, the Assembly requested the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Division for Palestinian Rights, as part of the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on 29 November, to continue to organize an annual exhibit on Palestinian rights or a cultural event in cooperation with the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the UN.