Morocco: remarks of Israeli officials to undermine legal status of Jerusalem

Morocco denounced on Friday the latest Israeli escalation in the city of Jerusalem, and the remarks of some Israeli officials, as an attempt to “undermine the legal status of the city.”

A statement issued by the Moroccan foreign ministry and reported by Anadolu Agency said that the “remarks of some Israeli officials are trying to undermine the legal status of noble Jerusalem, which was identified by international legitimacy as an unalienable part of Palestinian land occupied in 1967.”

The statement also stressed “such remarks lead the Palestinian cause towards undesired religious and dogmatic conflicts ahead of a complete control over Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to facilitate partitioning it.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Thursday that Israeli occupation authorities would order the “strongest possible response” to any future Palestinian civil protests – what he referred to as “riots” – in occupied Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Post quoted Netanyahu as saying that: “United Jerusalem was, and will always remain, the capital of Israel. Every attempt to harm its people will be met with a stronger response. We will return peace and security to Jerusalem.”

Morocco called upon the international community to put more pressure on Israel to stop its aggression on Al-Aqsa Mosque, stop judaisation and the building of settlements in the holy city.

It considered that Israeli measures contradict international efforts to reach a just reconciliation for the conflict in the Middle East.

The statement expressed the “deep concern” and “serious worries” of the Moroccan authorities over Israeli escalation in the city and the mosque. It also warned that “hostile Israeli actions” might lead to counter destructive violence.

Morocco noted that it expects to host a cooperative meeting for the Islamic Cooperation Organisation in the first week of November this year. The meeting is to discuss the necessity of defending Al-Aqsa Mosque and the city of Jerusalem.