Qatar closes Israeli trade office as Islamic conference pressure mounted
Qatar-Regional, Politics, 11/10/2000

Works of the preliminary ministerial meeting of the 9th session of the Organization of the Islamic Conference started on Thursday. Some 56 Arab and Muslim countries are taking part in the meeting and will continue until November 11.

The chairman of the Syrian delegation, foreign minister Farouk al-Shara, proposed that this summit will be named the summit of al-Aqsa Intifada and the proposal was greatly welcomed by heads and representatives of the participating states.

In his intervention at the inaugural speech al-Shara said " we have listened to several views on dedicating this summit to discuss what is going on in the Palestinian territories. I would like to stress an important point which is the convening of this summit and the summit should be concentrated on aggressions, killing of children and racist practices by Israel."

He said the challenges facing this meeting and the Islamic summit are great and tremendous.

He continued in a statement to the press on whether Syria backs the inclination towards the Israeli trade office in Doha al- Shara added " we are eventually for closing the Israeli office in Doha because it is an obstacle in the way to maintaining a progress for the peace process and the progress of the Islamic conference."

He added that Israel should pay the price for what it has committed of crimes against the Palestinian people and " think this is the minimum which our people are looking for."

He added: " I believe and I do expect that the Qataris will release a statement that will be a solution and an introduction for the success of the conference."

On what Syria wants from the Islamic summit conference al-Shara said what " the Arab people and the Islamic peoples want is to get out of this catastrophic conditions the Palestinian people in the occupied lands live in and that Israel's inhuman practices to be stopped as well as Israel's violations to all international norms and rules."

Al-Shara stressed that Israel should be forced to honor the international legitimacy and to be subjected to the international law because it is greatly responsible for the brutal practices and the crimes of killing children and unarmed people in the Palestinian territories.

Replying to a question on the participation of President Bashar al-Assad in the Islamic summit conference, al-Shara stressed that a decision to this effect will be defined in light of the current contacts and consultation.

Reports indicated growing pressure on Qatar to close the Israel office if the conference was to be attended at a high level and not be boycotted. Iran also had similar concerns.

Meantime, a Qatari official source said on Thursday evening that as an appreciation for what the leaders of the Islamic states, members at the Organization of the Islamic conference have done towards the critical conditions in the Middle East and the escalation of the Israeli oppressive campaign in the occupied lands and in coincidence with the opening of the 9th Islamic summit conference in Qatar, the State of Qatar has decided to close the Israeli trade representation office in Doha as an expression of the Muslim solidarity and to prepare the proper atmospheres to convene the conference and ensure all reasons for its success.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Shara in Doha, Saudi Arabia boycotts the OIC summit   (11/9/2000)
  Qatar will not cut relations with Israel   (11/9/2000)
  Arab participation at the OIC summit   (10/31/2000)

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