The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned on Monday the Israeli government’s approval to build thousands of new settlement units in the occupied Palestinian territories including Jerusalem.
The Secretary General of the OIC Yusuf Bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen said in a statement that the Israeli settlement activity is a flagrant violation of the international resolutions especially the UN Security Council’s resolution No. 2334 which confirmed the international community’s rejection and condemnation of these illegal Israeli actions and called for their cessation.
Al-Othaimeen affirmed that the accelerating pace of Israeli settlement activity with the beginning of 2017 is a serious indicator of Israel’s deliberate intent to undermine the international efforts that endorsed the two-state solution at the Paris Peace Conference that took place in mid-January 2017.
He deplored the Israeli Knesset’s discussion of a draft law aiming to legitimize the Israeli settlement outposts in the occupied Palestinian territories including Jerusalem and warned of the danger of the ongoing settlement activity and its repercussions in the region.
He called on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities and take the necessary measures to enforce its resolutions and compel Israel to halt its settlement activities in all occupied Palestinian territories.
In a separate statement the OIC expressed deep concern over an executive order issued by the new US president which imposes ban on the entry of citizens of seven countries that are members in the OIC to the United States including holders of visa and green cards despite the fact that these cards grant them legal permanent residence in the US.
The OIC General Secretariat stressed that this decision will increase the challenges facing refugees and people fleeing from war and persecution.
It warned that such selective and discriminatory policies would backfire and lead to more terrorism and violence.
The Organization called on the United States to reconsider this decision and maintain its moral commitment.
