KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Walid Abu Ali has urged the international community to put pressure on Israel to end aggression against Palestinians in Jerusalem.
He stressed that Israeli attacks on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque and the forced evictions of Palestinians in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah are a clear violation of international law.
“On a daily basis, what’s going on in Jerusalem is that Israelis are flouting international law and violating the most basic human rights of the Palestinian people.
“The international community must seriously address this matter. This is our demand,” he said when contacted by Bernama on Monday.
Walid also called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League to use their power in any way possible to end the atrocities perpetrated by Israel.
“They must ask the international community, especially the United Nations (UN) Security Council, and use their bilateral relations with the United States administration and the European Union (EU) to put pressure on Israel.
“Only the US and EU can pressure Israel to stop the attacks,” he said.
Walid hopes positive development can be achieved at the OIC’s emergency meeting which will be held next Tuesday to discuss, among others, the Israeli occupation authorities’ plan to forcibly displace dozens of Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, as well as the continuous attacks on the holy sites and worshippers.
He also expressed his appreciation to the Malaysian government, Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and Dewan Negara Caucus on People’s Wellbeing for their statements that unanimously condemned the Israeli atrocities.
“Malaysia has always been a great support and in strong solidarity with Palestine. Malaysians are all united on the issue of Al-Aqsa and Palestine,” he said.
According to media reports, Palestinians in Jerusalem in recent days have protested in solidarity with residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood amid attacks by Israeli police.
The crisis stems from a ruling by the Israeli Central Court in East Jerusalem, which approved a decision to evict seven Palestinian families from their homes in the neighbourhood in favour of Israeli settlers at the beginning of the year.
Israeli police attempted to disperse worshippers inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound Friday evening using stun grenades and tear gas. Hundreds of Palestinians were injured in the attacks, which have been condemned worldwide.
— Bernama
