Morocco reaffirmed on Wednesday in Amman its unwavering commitment and continued support for the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people to regain their freedom and establish an independent state within the June 4, 1967 borders, with Al-Quds as its capital, reiterating its call for an end to all practices and aggressions targeting them and its firm belief that dialogue and negotiations remain the sole path to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, free the region from violence, extremism, and unilateral actions, while reaffirming its full commitment to all initiatives and efforts aimed at achieving this goal.
Speaking on behalf of Morocco at the ministerial meeting in support of Al-Quds and its holy sites, Morocco’s Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, stressed that the ongoing and dangerous escalation in the region this year “must not make us lose sight of our central and priority cause, nor the aggression, land confiscations, house demolitions, and settlement expansion taking place in other Palestinian territories.”
In this regard, he noted that Morocco renews its call for an end to all practices and aggressions targeting the Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, urging concerted efforts to establish a clear political horizon to resolve the conflict.
The minister also underscored the necessity of supporting the Holy City and bolstering the resilience of its inhabitants to help them face the challenges of this difficult period, highlighting the Kingdom’s efforts on the high instructions of King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, and the Sovereign’s personal oversight and continuous diplomatic and concrete on-the-ground initiatives, including economic, social, and cultural projects carried out by Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency, the executive branch of the Al-Quds Committee, for the benefit of local residents, aimed at preserving the Holy City’s authentic historical identity and safeguarding its legal status.
In the same context, Ouahbi reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to the importance of the Hashemite Custodianship held by King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein of Jordan in safeguarding the Islamic and Christian holy sites in the city of Al-Quds.
He further noted that Morocco, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, has consistently stressed the need to refrain from any actions that could exacerbate the situation in the Palestinian territories, warning that the escalation observed in recent months in Al-Quds and at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, both legally and on the ground, amid unacceptable exploitation of regional tensions, threatens further escalation and instability driven by rising religious extremism and hate speech.
The minister added that the months-long situation prevailing in the Holy City of Al-Quds Asharif and the compound of the Al-Aqsa Mosque strongly signals an irrational course contrary to international law, undermining existing agreements intended to protect the city of Al-Quds and its places of worship from local and regional political agendas.
Furthermore, Ouahbi pointed out that the ministerial meeting was taking place amidst a particularly serious context for the Palestinian cause in general and Al-Quds Asharif in particular, marked by unprecedented incursions, attacks, and raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as acts of intimidation against worshippers under the protection of Israeli forces under various pretexts.
He maintained that these aggressions have been accompanied, on the legal front, by numerous measures designed to undermine the Holy City’s identity and erase its historical and religious character, foremost of which is the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In this regard, he insisted that any violation of the current legal status in the city of Al-Qods and in the sacred compound of Al-Haram Al-Qodsi, as well as attempts to impose a temporal and spatial division of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and make it a daily reality, are totally rejected and must cease immediately, in the interest of peace and stability in the region.
Ouahbi recalled that Morocco, in accordance with its historic role as well as its constant position regarding the Palestinian cause, has firmly condemned these provocative acts and systematic incursions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque. These actions, unfortunately, have been overseen by official figures, notably ministers and members of the Knesset, under the protection of Israeli forces.
In light of the continuation of these acts, which run contrary to international law and international legality in the city of Al-Quds Asharif, as well as attempts to undermine its historical and legal status, Morocco reiterates its call to strengthen coordination in order to adopt a unified position and launch an intensive diplomatic campaign at the regional and international levels. This aims to preserve the city and its holy sites as a common heritage of humanity, in accordance with the principles of the “Al-Quds Call,” signed on March 30, 2019, in Rabat by King Mohammed VI and the late Pope Francis, the minister said.
