AMMAN — Jordan’s Permanent Representative to the Arab League Amjad Adaileh on Wednesday took part in an extraordinary session of the Arab League Council at the level of permanent representatives to discuss Arab and international action in response to recent decisions by the Israeli government.

 

In his address, Adaileh said the “illegal measures” adopted by the Israeli government aimed at imposing Israeli sovereignty, entrenching settlement expansion and creating a new legal and administrative reality in the occupied West Bank constitute a "flagrant" violation of international law and undermine the two-state solution, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

 

He stressed that the measures represent an assault on the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to establish their independent and sovereign state on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, underscoring that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories.

 

Adaileh referred to the meeting held this week in Amman between His Majesty King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, stressing the importance of upholding Palestinian legitimacy and preventing any Israeli attempts to undermine the Palestinian National Authority, which he described as the Palestinian partner and reference for the Palestinian people.

 

He added that Arab action should capitalise on the international climate rejecting Israeli policies and translate it into political and legal pressure to halt the ongoing escalation, noting that Israeli measures constitute a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334, which condemns settlement activities and attempts to alter the demographic composition, character and status of the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem.

 

He also cited the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which affirmed the illegality of Israel’s occupation and the invalidity of the annexation of occupied Palestinian land.

 

For his part, Arab League Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Faed Mustafa said the meeting comes at a critical juncture in light of what he described as serious decisions recently taken by the Israeli government.

 

He said the session reaffirms the Arab League Council’s firm and consistent position at all levels regarding Israeli settlement activity and its grave implications, stressing that settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, constitutes a serious violation of international law and remains the main obstacle to achieving a just and comprehensive peace.

 

Palestine’s Permanent Representative to the Arab League Muhannad Aklouk said Palestine considers the Israeli decisions null and void, calling for enabling the State of Palestine to exercise full sovereignty and responsibilities over all its territory as soon as possible, with Arab and international support, on the basis of commitment to the Palestine Liberation Organisation as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.