EU responds to Iran’s letter, calls Israeli settlements illegal

TEHRAN, April 17 (MNA) – On January 3, Iranian Parliament speaker Ali Larijani sent a message to countries’ parliament speakers around the world calling on them to take a firm action to oppose the Knesset’s decision to declare al-Quds the capital of Israel. President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz sent a letter to Larijani on Monday stating that Israel should halt settlement constructions in the occupied Palestinian territories. Schulz described the settlement constructions illegal and said that the European Parliament’s stance toward the issue is clear. The Knesset had approved a draft law declaring al-Quds the eternal and united capital of the Zionist state. In his message, Larijani had said the silence of international bodies toward Israel’s continuous attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites and its brutal crackdown of the innocent Palestinians has made the Knesset so audacious to present a draft plan to declare the holy Quds the united Jewish capital.