By Mohammad Ghazal – Apr 15,2018 – JORDAN TIMES
His Majesty King Abdullah delivers a speech inaugurating the Arab summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday (Photo courtesy of Royal Court)
DHAHRAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday said it was necessary to reaffirm the eternal rights of Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims and Christians to Jerusalem as a key to peace in the region, urging continued support for the Palestinians to realise their legitimate right to independent statehood.
His Majesty said that Jerusalem is the cornerstone for a comprehensive solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the June 14, 1967 line with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative.
“Our Palestinian brothers seek peace, and their commitment to the two-state solution and rejecting violence is an unequivocal testament to their unwavering commitment to peace,” His Majesty said at the opening of the 29th Arab Summit, which was attended by the heads of 16 Arab states and high-ranking officials from the remaining Arab states (See official translation of full speech).
“It is our collective duty to stand with them and to support their steadfastness in their struggle to gain their legitimate rights to independent statehood, and to living in peace and security,” said the King during the summit, which was attended by representatives of the EU and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.
King Abdullah stressed on the need to enable the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to continue providing humanitarian and social services to refugees until a just solution is reached.
The King warned that any obstruction of the vital services of UNRWA would negatively impact over 5 million Palestinian refugees in the region.
Stressing that the Hashemite custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem is “a historical duty and responsibility that we are proud to carry”, King Abdullah said: “We will persevere in upholding this responsibility, in coordination with our brothers at the Palestinian National Authority and with your support.”
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