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Arab Parliament to Call on Britain to Cancel 100th Anniversary of Balfour Declaration | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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The Arab League in session in an undated picture. Reuters


Cairo – Arab Parliament Speaker Dr. Mishaal bin Fahm Al-Salami said he has decided to dispatch a correspondence calling on the British House of Commons to cancel the 100th celebration of Balfour Declaration, as it provokes the Arab world especially amid Israel’s constant rejection for all peaceful solutions for the Palestinian Cause and the establishment of the State of Palestine.

Salami told Asharq Al-Awsat that a request will be submitted during a meeting held in Bangladesh aiming to suspend Israel’s membership in the International Parliament, and noted that sessions of the Arab Parliament for this year have been themed “Jerusalem is Arab”.

He also warned from the dangers of threatening Arab national security driven by conflicts and wars in some countries, mainly in Syria, Libya, and Yemen, which affect the stability and security of the Arab world. He called on Iran to waive the Arab territories it has occupied, to stop it efforts to ignite sectarian discords, and to respect the sovereignty of its neighboring countries.

Salami said the Arab Parliament has a reconciliation committee working on diffusing the reconciliation culture, stating that many of the Arab world’s problems can be solved as part of the Arab League or through initiatives among Arab countries – he revealed that serious efforts are being made in this regard and results will be announced soon.

As per US intentions to move their embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Salami stressed the Arab identity of the city saying that it is the capital of Palestine and considered that such a step will undermine all efforts to reach a peaceful solution.

He also revealed that he intends to hold official talks with the international parliament on this matter.

Concerning the Iranian dilemma, he urged the Arab parliament for a unified position concerning Tehran’s interference in the Arab world, as Iran has occupied many Arab territories and has destabilized many states, mainly Bahrain and Yemen.

The speaker stated that many official complaints were submitted to the UN Security Council on the Iranian intervention, not only in political issues but also through the armament of some groups.

Commenting on the US JASTA bill, Salami said the Arab Parliament has coordinated with other international parliaments on this matter since it targets many countries and considered it a shameful law that threatens global security and stability.

Salami told the political committee in the parliament that he has worked and tracked all cases concerning Iran, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, and Palestine. He stated that a Parliamentary session will be held in mid-April to adopt the decisions expected to be taken at the Jordan summit on March 29.

The summit will focus on economic integration, he said, hoping it would also tackle Arab national security.