CAIRO, Tuesday, September 10, 2019 (WAFA) – Foreign Minister Riyadh Malki today called on Arab foreign ministers to work closely through their bilateral and multilateral relations with UN member states and international geographic groups to get a wide vote in favor of the decision to renew the mandate of UNRWA.

During his speech at the closed session of the Arab League Council 152nd session at the level of Foreign Ministers in Cairo, Malki called on the General Secretariat of the Arab League and its missions abroad, the Arab Ambassadors‘ Councils and the Arab Parliament to exert maximum efforts, including visits and sending urgent messages to the countries of the world, urging them to vote in favor of renewing the mandate of UNRWA until the issue of Palestinian refugees is resolved fairly in accordance with UN resolutions.

He rejected the Israeli and US attempts to undermine the issue of Palestinian refugees, through attempting to weaken the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and undermine its international mandate ability to perform its tasks of relief and employment of Palestinian refugees.

Malki added that the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people have crossed all borders, from doubling illegal settlement on Palestinian lands, looting Palestinian resources and stealing Palestinian money, to killing and arresting civilians, children and women.

He explained that all this proves to the world that Israel has preferred the path of aggression to the path of peace, and abandoned its obligations under the agreements signed.

"Therefore the Palestinian leadership has taken a direction based on the decisions of the National and Central Councils of the Palestine Liberation Organization, to disengage from the Israeli occupation, and review the political, economic and security agreements signed with the Israeli occupation government in an effort to consolidate Palestinian independence and legal entity of an independent sovereign Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital," said Malki.

He expressed the appreciation and gratitude of the Palestinian people and leadership for all Arab countries that have financially supported the State of Palestine, calling for continuing their support to the Palestinian budget and to activate the financial safety net, as stipulated in the resolutions of successive Arab summits.

A.D./T.R.