The final communiqué of the meeting of the Permanent Delegates' Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states held here today, to discuss recent Israeli escalation, in occupied Quds and the unprecedented violations by Israel of Al-Aqsa Mosque sanctity, through closure and the imposition of illegal measures, such as installation of surveillance cameras and electronic gates. The communique added that Quds is the central issue of the Islamic Ummah and the rationale for establishment of the OIC, a fact that requires member states to take action to support the people of Palestine, in all international forums. It also condemned all punitive measures taken Israel, the Occupying Power, on Friday, July 14, 2017, namely the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, prohibition of praying there, prohibition of calling for praying from on its minarets, the entry of the Israeli police and settlers into the mosque, preventing worshipers and employees of the Islamic Waqf of doing their daily duties and arresting them, in an attempt to change the historical situation, impede the entry of worshipers to the campus and prevent them from practicing their religious rituals, guaranteed by international conventions, emphasizing the right to access places of worship, freely. Israel, the occupying Power, had no legal sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Islamic and Christian holy sites, a fact that's affirmed by all international conventions and resolutions, most recently the UNESCO World Heritage Committee relevant decision, the meeting confirmed. Stressing the rejection of all measures imposed by Israel, the occupying Power, on the Holy City and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which are part of the implementation of the plans of the colonial occupation to change the historical situation in Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which leads to a religious conflict with grave and dangerous aftermath. Participants praised the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in Occupied Quds and their heroic stance against targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque as one of the preeminent defenders of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, on behalf of the whole Islamic Ummah, in the face of Israeli colonial plans aimed at Judaizing the Holy City and emptying it of its people. OIC statement called on the member states to strengthen the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, in Quds and to meet their humanitarian challenges by providing and them with financial and economic support as a matter of urgency. All member states, the meeting added have, to intervene urgently in the face of Israeli colonial measures against the religious and historical status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, that aimed at confiscation of its sanctity, in order to compel Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories, in general, and Quds as well as Al-Aqsa Mosque, in particular, as soon as possible.
