HH the Emir Opens Al-Quds International Forum

Doha, February 26 (QNA) - HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani patronized the opening of the Doha International Conference for the Defense of Al-Quds, which kicked off at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Sunday morning. The opening was attended by a number of Their Excellencies the Sheikhs, the Speaker of the Advisory Council, the Ministers, the Heads of the diplomatic corps accredited to the country and guests. Addressing the opening session, HH the Emir underlined that the Arab identity of Al-Quds is in danger and needs to move quickly to stop the Judaization of Al-Quds. HH the Emir presented a proposal to go to the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution for the formation of an international investigation committee to investigate all the actions taken by Israel since the 1967 occupation of Arab Jerusalem in order to obliterate the Islamic and Arab landmarks, noting that the resolution will be consistent with several previous decisions of the Security Council, calling on Israel to retreat from all the actions taken by the Judaization of Al-Quds. HH the Emir called on the Palestinian leadership to exert every possible effort to preserve the Arab identity of Al-Quds, and to enforce the national reconciliation and prepare a comprehensive and expanded strategy to the various sectors and projects needed by the city, underlining Qatar's willingness to participate to its full potential in order to accomplish and implement this strategy. HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani underlined that the meeting comes to affirm the Arab identity of Al-Quds since the third millennium BC. The Israelis do not realize that "there is no Palestinian State without Al-Quds and there is no Al-Quds without Al-Aqsa Mosque," HH the Emir said. Since 1948, the Israeli governments have been in ongoing operations to rewrite the history of Al-Quds through the marginalization and the abolition of all historical periods, and ridiculed for that unlimited potential to delude the world that the history of Al-Quds has another path and another story, HH the Emir noted. HH the Emir regretted that the Arab countries were not making all the needed efforts to preserve the Arab and Islamic identity of Al-Quds. What Israeli is doing in Al-Quds is definitely a clear violation of international law and the international humanitarian law and to numerous resolutions of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly concerning the rights of the Palestinian people, therefore, the current status of Al-Quds requires a firm stand to face the blatant Israeli challenge which makes the Arab identity of Al-Quds in big danger, HH the Emir said. HH the Emir underlined that protecting Al-Quds will not be accomplished through slogans, speeches and conferences, pointing out to the former Israeli Prime Minister when she said that her happiest day in her life was when Muslims only denounced and condemned the burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque which she thought would be the end of Israel. HH the Emir stressed the importance of the Arab unity to face the Israeli violations and preserve Al-Quds identity, saying that all countries and governments in the world must realize that there is a unified Arab stand that will only accept a just peace based on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. HH the Emir reaffirmed Qatar's support for the Palestinian people and their steadfastness of Al-Quds and their legitimate demands in establishing the independent state of Palestine. HH the Emir called on the civil society organizations, as a key partner with governments, to shoulder their responsibilities towards protecting Al-Quds and preserving its Arab and Islamic identity. (QNA)