Regional challenges still ‘storming Arab world’ — Safadi

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday participated in the 156th ordinary session of the Arab League Council, where he said that the council convened for a session in “extraordinary Arab circumstances” that require “exceptional efforts”.  

Safadi said that “challenges are still storming the Arab world”, adding that the repercussions of these challenges are “catastrophic to our interests, issues and the future of our region”, according to a ministry statement. 

The Palestinian cause will remain the top priority, especially given the lack of a solution that meets the legitimate rights of Palestinians, which is the core of many tensions and conflicts in the region, the minister said.

He noted that the region will remain an area of tension and conflict unless the occupation ends and the Palestinian people receive all rights, mainly freedom and an independent sovereign state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the pre-1967 lines, to live side-by-side in peace and security with Israel, according to relevant international resolutions and the Arab peace initiative. 

The Kingdom will continue to exert every possible effort to achieve the two-state solution; the only means to realise peace. The Kingdom will work to achieve this goal in coordination with international community partners, specifically the US, which has implemented several steps stressing commitment to the two-state solution and rejecting colonisation.  

The Jordanian-Egyptian-Palestinian summit that President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi hosted in Cairo earlier in the month represents a joint effort that reflects a common vision on the solution’s requirements, Safadi said. 

The minister added that Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites are a priority for His Majesty King Abdullah in his capacity as custodian. 

He added that respect for the rights of Jerusalemites in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood and Silwan is also a necessity for peace and their forcible displacement is an unacceptable war crime.  

He called for the respect of the historical and legal status of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, especially that tampering with holy sites provokes the feelings of hundreds of millions Muslims and Christians. 

The deputy premier also called for adopting a unified stance to support UNRWA, which is facing a deficit that threatens its ability to continue offering its services. UNRWA requires sustainable regional and international support, the premier added, noting that Jordan and Sweden plan to organise an international conference to support the UN agency.

Safadi said that the Syrian crisis has only resulted in the destruction, killing and displacement of innocent people, as well as the marginalisation of the role of the Arab country. 

He pointed out the lack of collective effort to stop this tragedy has never been justified and is no longer acceptable. 

The minister also stressed the importance of building on the achievements aimed to reach a solution to the Libyan crisis, through implementing the agreements and understandings created to end the crisis. 

He reiterated that the stability of Iraq is a pillar of security for the region, stressing that Amman will continue to help Baghdad and its government realise the Iraqi people’s aspirations. 

As for Lebanon, Safadi said that the country is facing enormous challenges, expressing the Kingdom’s support to the country.