Farouk Qaddoumi in Morocco to attend Jerusalem Fund constituent assembly

Farouk Qaddoumi, head of the political department of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) arrived Monday in Casablanca where he will attend the constituent assembly of Bait Mal Al-Quds (Jerusalem Fund).

Qaddoumi stressed the role that Bait Mal Al-Quds, set up at the initiative of King Hassan II as Chairman of Al-Quds Committee, can play in protecting the holy city against the Zionist settlement policy.

The holding of the meeting in the Maghreb region testifies to the constant efforts these countries are making in favor of the Palestinian cause and the edification of an independent Palestinian state with al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital.

The fund, headquartered in the Moroccan economic and financial metropolis, was created by the 15th session of Al-Quds Committee in January 1995 in Ifrane (central Morocco). It seeks to raise funds to save the occupied city of Al-Quds, defend the Palestinians' rights over the city, back their resistance and safeguard the city's civilization, religious, cultural and architectural heritage.

The management and control of the funds activities is ensured by a trusteeship committee that was formed during the al-Quds committee's 17th session held last August in Morocco.

The trusteeship committee is made up of Morocco and the state of Palestine as permanent Members, and Saudi Arabia (for the Arab World), Iran (for Asia) and Senegal (for Africa). These three members will sit in the trusteeship committee for three years and will be replaced by new members.

The governing board includes the finance ministers of the al-Quds Committee member countries and the OIC secretary-general.