The head of the Arab League has blamed Israel for the escalation of violence in the region, warning that Israeli policies will blow up the situation in Jerusalem.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the 22-member organization, speaks as Arab foreign ministers meet to discuss the latest bout of violence between the Palestinians and Israelis.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit speaks during an Arab League emergency meeting discussing the US-brokered proposal for a settlement of the Middle East conflict, at the league headquarters in the Egyptian capital Cairo on February 1, 2020. (Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
He decries what he calls Israel’s provocative practices in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the planned eviction of Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
“What we have witnessed is, clearly and frankly, a provocation by the Israeli occupation, that targeted the holiest Islamic sanctities, at the most sacred time,” he says, referring to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
He urges the UN Security Council to take action.
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
