Financial backing needed to brake settlements, ministers hold side talks
Regional-Palestine, Politics, 7/30/1998

The Palestinians need strong financial backing to counter the Israeli settlement policy in the holy city of Jerusalem, a Palestinian official said here on Wednesday.

Nabil Shaath, Palestinian planning and international cooperation minister, told reporters that, "The struggle to safeguard the Arab-Islamic character of the holy city requires the purchase and retrieval of land."

Shaath, who was speaking at a press briefing shortly before the opening of the 17th session of the Jerusalem Committee, urged the committee to "set up a mechanism that will stop the Netanyahu government from expanding the settlements."

The Jerusalem Committee, an off-shoot of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), seeks to "devise a global plan for the liberation" of the holy city and the preservation of the Arab and Islamic cultural and religious heritage of the city.

Meanwhile, Foreign Ministers of the 16 member states of the Jerusalem Committee started on Wednesday a series of side talks on the fringes of the committee's 17th session held this July 29-30 in Casablanca under the chairmanship of King Hassan II.

The talks were dominated by the Israeli threats looming against the holy city and ways to counter the Israeli government's expansionist policy.

Egypt's Amr Moussa and Iraq's Said al-Sahaf conferred on the situation in Jerusalem.

Moussa told the press after the meeting that his country expects the committee to come up with a "unified and decisive position" regarding the issue.

Touching on the possibility of holding an Arab Summit, Moussa denied that the efforts made in this direction had failed.

He also voiced hope that the USA adopts a clear position regarding the Israeli policy.

For his part, the Iraqi foreign minister said the recent developments in the holy city of Al-Quds show that "the Zionist entity does not want peace and continues to confiscate Palestinians' lands and rights."

He said Baghdad repeatedly called for mobilizing energies to defend Arab rights, adding that his country puts its potential at the service of Arab countries and renews its full backing for the Palestinian people in their struggle to foil the Israeli Judaization measures.

All statements made so far show that the Islamic countries are resolved to sharpen their tone against Israel.

Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa, told reporters that the Islamic countries should clearly "face up the Israeli expansionist policy, which runs against peace, the international laws and resolutions."

Syria hopes that "the present session will yield results that will win unanimity in the Islamic world."

Faisal Al-Husseini, who is in charge of Jerusalem Affairs for the Palestinian government, said the 17th session of the Jerusalem Committee, "should prepare the Arab-Islamic world to back the Palestinian people in its confrontation with Israel."

Previous Stories:
  Arab states express views on Jerusalem as meeting begins   (7/29/1998)
  Arab League urges Israel to join Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty   (7/22/1998)
  Annan calls for sympathy with the Palestinians   (7/2/1998)

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