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3 Dec, 2014

Asian Parliamentarians Condemn Israel’s Offensive on Palestinian Holy Sites

LAHORE, December 2, 2014 (WAFA) – The plenary session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), convened in the city of Lahore in Pakistan, condemned on Tuesday the Israeli violations on holy sites in the Palestinian Territory, particularly al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, including provocative visits by Jewish fanatics into the Muslim holy site.

The APA, composed of 58 Asian parliaments, denounced Israel’s ongoing attempts to divide al-Aqsa Mosque between Muslims and Jews, as well as the restrictions Israel imposes on Palestinians entry to the Mosque.

It called upon Israel not to change the status quo in the holy site, which has been under Jordanian administrative control since 1967.

Israel’s violations on Palestinian resources, especially water, and destruction of agricultural property for the benefit of settlement expansion, as well as its contamination of the Palestinian environment were also condemned.

It further condemned Israel’s enacting of racist laws, the latest of which was the bill proposed by the Israeli cabinet to enshrine Israel’s definition as the ‘nation-state’ of ‘the Jewish people’.

APA was presented in Islamabad ten years ago in November 2004 when the “Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP) decided to transform itself into Asian Parliamentary Assembly.