Arab League chief warns Israel not to cross ‘red line’

Arab foreign ministers late Thursday denounced Israel’s recent “illegal” violations in Jerusalem in an urgent meeting in Cairo with the participation of 22 foreign ministers or government representatives to discuss ways to ease the tense situation in the region after Israel removed the security apparatus from the entrance to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem.

The Arab League (AL) Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Ghiet in Egypt warned Israel on Thursday that Jerusalem is a “red line” that nobody is allowed to cross.

“Jerusalem is a red line that cannot be bypassed. Israel doesn’t own the sovereignty of the holy site and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is not recognized by anyone in the world. Any move that would change the fact is playing with fire and provoking a religious war, escalating the political clashes to religious conflicts” said Aboul-Ghiet.

They urged Israel not to close the gates of Al-Aqsa and consider its historic and legal status. Also the Ministers agreed that international efforts are needed to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

“The Palestinian-Israeli conflict reminds the world that if the issue cannot be resolved in a just way, the Middle East cannot realize peace and stability. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the root cause of the tense situation in the region,” said Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.

At the meeting, the Arab foreign ministers strongly condemned Israel’s actions in East Jerusalem, stressing that the recent Israeli moves are illegal.

Although CCTV cameras, the metal bridge and the railings, which have triggered nightly violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police, were removed by Israeli authorities several days ago, clashes are continuing.

At a press briefing after the meeting, Aboul-Ghiet and some foreign ministers urged Israel to stop its policies and violations in East Jerusalem, and called on the United Nations to implement its resolutions regarding Jerusalem to maintain peace and security in the region.