RAMALLAH, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Riyad al-Malki, today briefed his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Schallenberg, during a meeting in Ramallah, on the latest developments on the Palestinian issue, particularly the escalating Israeli violations in the occupied Palestinian territory in general and in occupied Jerusalem in particular.
Malki stressed that the Israeli measures in Jerusalem against Muslim and Christian worshippers celebrating their holidays and against their holy places are a flagrant violation of international law and human rights principles, foremost of which is the right to freedom of worship and access to the holy places, as well as a change in the legal and historical status quo in the city of Jerusalem.
He accused Israel of escalating the situation during the holy fasting month of Ramadan through its military incursions into Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps in the occupied West Bank in a deliberate act to agitate instability in the Palestinian territories.
Malki called on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities towards the violations and crimes of the Israeli occupiers and take the necessary measures as per international law to compel the occupying state to stop its violations and aggression, calling for an end to the policy of double standards and to pressure Israel to start serious negotiations that would lead to an end to its occupation of the land of the State of Palestine.
Focusing international efforts on managing the conflict instead of on resolving it has given the occupying power more time to chip away at the opportunities that remained to implement the principle of the two-state solution, he said.
The two foreign ministers also discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance and develop them.
Malki praised the bilateral relations between the two sides, appreciating the support Austria provides to Palestinian institutions and to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
For his part, Schallenberg affirmed the continuation of providing support to Palestinian institutions and UNRWA, and his country’s support for the two-state solution.
Source: Palestine News & Info Agency