Calls for Brazil to look for paths to peace in Jerusalem, the Middle East

The Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil condemned the Israeli occupation’s attacks against Palestinians praying at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the continuous storming of the site by Israeli settlers and the targeting of many young people in different cities of the occupied West Bank. The Arab ambassadors, who met on Saturday in Brasilia, urged the Brazilian government to play a more active role with the international community and search for paths to peace in the Middle East after Israeli occupation forces stormed Al-Aqsa last Wednesday, fired stun grenades at Palestinians, injured dozens and arrested more than 400 worshippers.

In a statement, they said: “The disproportionate use of violence by the Israeli forces is a desperate attempt by the Israeli government to divert attention from its inextricable political and institutional crisis.” They clarified that the only way to reduce tensions in the occupied land is for Israel to “stop attacks against defenseless devotees in the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

“The end of the Israeli occupation is the way to reach a just, definitive and lasting peace in the Middle East,” they added.

“Israel needs to commit to the negotiation process with the Palestinians, so we can resume efforts to reach a fair and complete peace agreement that is based on UN relations. The only solution is based on achieving an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital,” head of the Arab League Mission in Brazil, Ambassador Qais Shqair, said.

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Shqair added: “The Israeli government targets the defenseless Muslim worshippers at a time when there are huge demonstrations in Israel against government policies. The attack on Al-Aqsa and the worshippers is an attempt to hide their [the government’s] failure to contain their internal crises.”

According to the Palestinian Ambassador to Brazil, Ibrahim Alzeben, Brazil has supported the peace process since 1947. He recalled that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva cited his constant willingness to find a solution that saves the region from the “spill of blood, violence and suffering”.

Representantes do Conselho dos Embaixadores dos Países Árabes no Brasil se pronunciaram neste sábado, em Brasília, sobre o que consideram ataques a fiéis no complexo da Mesquita de Al-aqsa, em Jerusalém

➡️ Assista agora ao #JornalDaRecord ao vivo: https://t.co/Rq7jlrYOai #JR24H pic.twitter.com/VqlsaLdukh

— Jornal da Record (@jornaldarecord) April 8, 2023

Latin America did not stand idly by during the assaults on the people of Palestine, across the continent protesters chanted slogans calling for Arab and international support for Al-Aqsa Mosque, worshippers and the Palestinians who were being attacked in the occupied West Bank.

Cuba has witnessed a wave of solidarity with the Palestinian people. It has denounced the continuous Israeli crimes and violations against the Palestinian people and declared its solidarity with the worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque. In a tweet, the foreign minister said Israel’s actions offend the religious feelings of the Palestinians and exacerbate the climate of violence.

Condenamos incursión israelí en la Mezquita de Al Aqsa y los ataques contra los fieles en el mes del Ramadán, en franca violación de las normas internacionales. Acciones de esta naturaleza laceran el sentimiento religioso de los palestinos y exacerban el clima de violencia. pic.twitter.com/Spt1zR74JS

— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) April 5, 2023

Chile expressed its deep concern about the acts of violence in Al-Aqsa Mosque. The government issued a statement in which it called for “respect[ing] the legal, historical and religious status of this holy place for Muslims, and avoid[ing] these acts and provocations.”

While the Mexican Foreign Ministry expressed its “deep concern and sadness about the Israeli police’s use of force in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

México expresa su profunda preocupación por el uso de la fuerza en la mezquita de Al-Aqsa por parte de la policía de Israel y hace un llamado al cese inmediato del lanzamiento de cohetes contra el territorio israelí.

Las partes deben contribuir al restablecimiento de la paz.

— Relaciones Exteriores (@SRE_mx) April 6, 2023

The Israeli attacks come during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which the occupation is turning into a battlefield every year.

Latin America’s support for Palestine, however, will not disappear when the Israeli attacks stop. Solidarity activists will continue to struggle for Palestinian rights until Israel’s brutal military occupation is brought to an end.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.