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Arab League to move forward with freezing 'Israel's' UNGA membership

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
10 Sep 2024 21:45
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The foreign ministers of the Arab League have agreed on a series of decisions to pressure the Israeli regime on the international stage during a meeting on Tuesday.

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Arab League foreign ministers convene for a meeting in Cairo attended by (guest seats R to L) the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Commissioner General of UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini, and Senior UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Action and Reconstruction in Gaza Sigrid Kaag, at the organization's headquarters in Cairo, Egypt on September 10, 2024. (AFP)

Arab foreign ministers decided to task the Arab Group in New York with initiating the appropriate steps to freeze "Israel's" participation in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), during a meeting of the Arab League's Council of Foreign Ministers on Tuesday.

The resolution of the ministerial meeting of the Arab League urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to expedite its ruling on the case filed by South Africa against "Israel". South Africa has accused the Israeli regime of failing to meet its obligations under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The Arab League will back its demand with the fact that "Israel" did not comply with the temporary measures ordered by the court on January 26, 2024, March 28, 2024, and May 24, 2024, and that the Palestinian people are protected under the Genocide Convention.

The Arab foreign ministers also emphasized a consensus among the Arab League's member states and parties to officially support South Africa's case against the Israeli regime at the ICJ.

The ministers also urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to move forward with issuing arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, citing the ICC Prosecutor's Office's determination that there are substantial grounds to believe these leaders have committed serious violations falling within the court's jurisdiction.

Supporting President Abbas, Palestine's full membership in UN

The ministerial council also expressed its support for Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, who called for an official visit to the Gaza Strip with the goal of halting the Israeli aggression and achieving the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the besieged territory.

Moreover, participants reaffirmed the State of Palestine's full jurisdiction over its territory, emphasizing the importance of restoring Palestinian national unity under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The ministers said that the PLO is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and that factions should work on enabling the government to fulfill its duties across all Palestinian territories.

Finally, in terms of the international dimension of the meeting, the Arab League's ministerial council called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to accept Palestine's full UN membership.

Israeli plots for post-war Gaza

The Council firmly rejected "Israel's" post-aggression plans for Gaza and opposed any control over parts of the Gaza Strip. The ministers called for "Israel's" full withdrawal from Gaza, including the Philadelphi Corridor and the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, stressing that the Palestinian-Egyptian borders are sovereign and must not be violated.

They also emphasized the importance of operating the Rafah crossing, according to established humanitarian rules, and removing all obstacles to ensure safe, adequate, and swift humanitarian access through the crossing.

Financially supporting Palestinian government

The Council called on member states to provide the necessary financial support to Palestine and activate a transparent Arab financial safety net to counter "Israel's" punitive economic and financial measures against the Palestinian authorities.

This includes withholding and pirating tax funds meant for Palestinians by Israeli authorities. It highlighted the need for continued Arab financial support for Palestine's budget and urged the swift fulfillment of overdue and future commitments, in line with decisions from Arab summits.