The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) urged member states and Russia, which has observer status, “to request an emergency meeting on Israeli violations of international law in Al-Quds (Jerusalem) ... and aggressions against the holy places.” The call was issued in a statement after a ministerial-level meeting of the OIC executive committee.
The 57-member body also renewed its condemnation of the on-off clashes since September between Israeli police and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit on Sunday said Cairo “understood” the Palestinian refusal to resume talks with Israel before a freeze of Jewish settlements on occupied land.
Abul Gheit made the remarks at a joint news conference with Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh after a surprise visit to Cairo by Jordan’s King Abdullah II for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
The meeting came a day after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pressed for a swift resumption of peace negotiations, despite the Palestinian insistence that Israel must first halt its settlement activity.
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