Morocco king reiterates support for Palestinians’ right to statehood
King Mohammed VI reaffirmed Morocco’s steady position in support of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to an independent state with east Jerusalem as its capital.
“I avail myself of this opportunity to reiterate my country’s clear and firm position regarding the justness of the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, in particular their right to establish their independent Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital – a state living in peace and security alongside the State of Israel,” the King said in a message to Sheikh Niang, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
The King called for breaking away with the logic of conflict and instead embrace “peace and cooperation for the emergence of a prosperous space for all the peoples concerned.”
“The current deadlock in the political process between the Palestinian and Israeli sides does not promote the peace we are yearning for in the region. Nevertheless, I encourage the positive signs and commendable initiatives undertaken to rebuild confidence and launch meaningful negotiations that help achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue,” the monarch said in the message sent on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
“In this respect, he stressed the two-State solution as “a realistic option” to the longest lasting dispute in the world.
The absence of a favorable political outlook for the Palestinian cause, coupled with the unilateral measures which undermine the prospects for peace, have allowed extremist players to continue desecrating holy sites and spreading a culture rooted in violence and hatred. As a result, this conflict may well cease to be a political dispute and turn, instead, into an ideological one, with dire consequences for the entire region,” he said.
After recalling the sacred character of Al Quds (Jerusalem) for Arabs and Muslims, the king – in his capacity as Chairman of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Al-Quds Committee- called for the preservation of the legal, cultural and religious status of the Holy City as a common heritage of mankind, as a land of encounter, and as a symbol of peaceful coexistence between the followers of the three monotheistic religions.
He shed light on the efforts of Bayt Mal Al Quds agency benefiting the population of the Holy city adding that “the efforts and initiatives undertaken by the Kingdom of Morocco in support of the Palestinian cause attest to a sincere, continuous commitment, which is accompanied by concrete measures on the ground.”
“This action is highly appreciated and praised by the leadership and people of Palestine. In this regard, I recommend that this just cause be shielded from useless outbidding tactics and narrow calculations which do not serve it in any way,” the King said.
