Moroccan king calls on Sharon to stop the invasion
Morocco-Israel, Politics, 4/1/2002

Morocco's King Mohammed VI has Called Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon to immediately put an end to military operations in the Palestinian territories, to lift the blockade imposed on President Yasser Arafat and to guarantee the Palestinian President's physical integrity.

The official spokesman for the royal palace, Hassan Aourid, announced Sunday in Beirut that H.M. King Mohammed VI had phone talks with the Israeli premier and that during the talks the sovereign called him to immediately put an end to military operations in the Palestinian territories, to lift the blockade imposed on President Yasser Arafat and to guarantee the Palestinian President's physical integrity.

The king stressed the need to enforce the Arab Peace Initiative adopted during the Arab Summit held in Beirut March 27-28, Aourid added.

King Mohammed VI who took part in the Arab Summit had intensive diplomatic contacts following the deterioration of the situation in the Middle East, after the Israeli army assaulted and invaded the general headquarters of the Palestinian National authority in Ramallah. H.M. king Mohammed VI, chairman of Al-Quds committee, thus held phone talks with the Palestinian President to renew Morocco's full backing and solidarity with the Palestinian people and leadership against the new Israeli escalation, and the Al-Quds Committee Chairmanship issued a release wherein the sovereign decried the invasion by the Israeli occupation forces of Palestinian cities and institutions, called for an international protection to the Palestinian people and warned of a general explosion in the region.

The sovereign also sent messages to the leaders of the permanent member countries of the Security Council, to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and to the acting chairman of the European Union, Spain's Premier Jose Maria Aznar. In these messages, the sovereign decried the violent Israeli invasion of the occupied Palestinian territories and the unprecedented escalation against the unarmed Palestinian civilians and urged for immediate intervention to end the Israeli military operations.

The sovereign equally held a meeting in Beirut Saturday with Lebanese president, Emile Lahoud, acting chairman of the Arab summit. France asserted that resolution 1402, adopted Saturday by the UN Security Council "evidences the council members' deep worry over the tragic developments of these past days" in the Middle East and "their will to get involved to put an end to these developments, otherwise the region will witness a total explosion, as outlined by the King of Morocco."

Previous Stories:
  Special security arrangements for Israeli Knesset delegation in Marrakesh   (3/18/2002)
  Moroccan FM: Morocco has ceased all contacts with Israel   (5/28/2001)
  Moroccan NGO warns against introducing star of David among world emblems   (5/19/2001)

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