Maldives Condemns Violence in Gaza at OIC Summit

The Maldives delivered a strong rebuke to Israel condemning the violence that had taken place in the days prior against Palestinian peaceful protesters in Gaza. Speaking at the 7th Extraordinary Summit Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which is being convened in Istanbul, Turkey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives His Excellency Dr Mohamed Asim stated that Israel’s disproportionate use of force against civilians has gone unimpeded too frequently, and that such actions undermine the United Nations and directly negates the global efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs also strongly objected to the United States decision to move its Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and urged Member States of the OIC to actively engage with countries that are considering moving their diplomatic missions to Jerusalem, with a view to dissuade them from doing so. The Minister also underlined the Maldives’ long standing position that it unequivocally supports the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the Palestinian lands with pre-1967 borders, living side by side with Israel.

The 7th Extraordinary Summit Conference is being convened on the invitation of the President of the Republic of Turkey, Chair of the 13th Summit Conference of the OIC in response to the grave developments in the State of Palestine, as a result of the ongoing Israeli brutal aggression against the Palestinian people and the inauguration of the US Embassy in Al-Quds Al-Sharif.

Earlier today, the Maldives co-sponsored a resolution that was tabled in the Special Session of the Human Rights Council to establish a Commission of Inquiry to look into the violence in Gaza. A large number of heads of state and government, including Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Kuwaiti Amir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah participated the summit meeting.

The Summit condemned criminal actions of Israeli Forces against the Palestinian in the Occupied territory while calling on the International Community to uphold its legal obligations to defend the international law and order as they relate to Palestine.

The Summit further condemned inauguration of the United States Embassy in Al-quds and called upon all member states to openly condemn such action to pursue all available legal and diplomatic avenues to defend Palestinian rights from all hostile and illegal actions and to support decisions adopted recently by the Palestinian Leadership to advance the Palestinian rights.

ENDS