Arab Summit Hails ‘Al-Quds Call’ launched by King Mohammed VI and Pope Francis

The 30th Arab Summit convened in Tunisia over the weekend has welcomed the “Al Quds Call” signed Saturday in Rabat by King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, and Pope Francis who was visiting the Kingdom.

The Tunis Declaration adopted by the summit welcomed the “Al-Quds Call”, which aims at preserving and promoting the specific multi-religious character, spiritual dimension and particular identity of the holy city.

The “Al Quds Appeal” recognizes the “uniqueness and sacredness of Jerusalem / Al-Quds Acharif”, and calls for the city to be preserved as a “common heritage of humanity and especially for the faithful of the three monotheistic religions, as a meeting place and symbol of peaceful coexistence, where mutual respect and dialogue are cultivated”.

The Arab countries also commended the chairmanship by Morocco’s King of Al-Quds Committee, an offshoot of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which strives to safeguard and restore Jerusalem’s religious, cultural and architectural heritage.

King Abdullah II of Jordan also commended Al-Quds Call. “I commend the joint appeal by my brother, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and His Holiness Pope Francis, reaffirming Jerusalem as a symbol of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and dialogue,” the Jordanian monarch said on Twitter.

“We must work together so that Jerusalem remains a unifying city of peace,” he added.
King Abdallah who paid a visit to Morocco last week and the Moroccan Sovereign renewed in a joint statement issued at the end of this visit their unwavering backing to the Palestinians’ right to establish their independent Palestinian State, with Eastern Al-Quds as its capital.

The two Sovereigns also reaffirmed their rejection of all unilateral measures taken by Israel, as an occupying force, to change the legal and historical status of Al Quds, or its demographic, spiritual and historical character, particularly with regard to Islamic and Christian sacred sites in the holy city.

Bahrain also hailed the “Al-Quds Call” as “an important basis for the establishment of security and peace in the Middle-East”.

“This Call is an important basis for the establishment of security and peace in the Middle-East, which requires the international community to redouble its efforts to protect Al-Quds Al-Sharif”, highlighted Sunday the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release.

“The kingdom of Bahrain expresses sincere gratitude for the indefatigable efforts of the brotherly Kingdom of Morocco in this area” added the Ministry.

In his address before the Arab Summit, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas hailed King Mohammed VI for his tireless efforts to support the resistance of the Al-Quds inhabitants.

“We highly commend the contacts and efforts of HM King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, and Bayt Mal Al-Quds,” to support the holy city, president Abbas said at the opening of the 30th Arab Summit.

Last year, US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as capital of Israel, igniting anger across the Muslim world that sees the city as the capital of the future Palestinian state.