Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates // Battle of the Air Train will be Transferred to UNESCO

      The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants strongly condemns the ratification of the so-called "Ministerial Authority for Housing" by Israel on the settlement plan "air train" linking the Mount of Olives to the Buraq Wall and the reaching the settlement in the center of Silwan. The ministry considers this as an integral part of the Israeli colonial occupation projects aimed at Judaizing and capturing occupied Jerusalem and its Old City, and changing its Arab, Islamic and Christian identity and civilization, in order to completely separate it from its Palestinian surroundings. The Ministry affirms that this settlement project has a decisive impact on the natural, environmental, urban, heritage, historical and legal aesthetic situation of the occupied holy city, and it falls within the context of continuous colonial operations to Judaize occupied East Jerusalem and the subsoil therein, as happened in the opening of a huge underground cemetery. Judaization of its skies, as in the air train, in line with the pupils of the occupation.

     The Ministry affirms that pursuing this fateful and important issue is a direct responsibility of UNESCO by the virtue of its competence, and in accordance with the UN resolutions adopted by the Organization in this regard to preserve the historical, legal and demographic status of occupied Jerusalem and its Old City without any amendments or changes, including numerous resolutions on the dispatch of inquiry commissions. Facts to see and monitor the procedures, measures, and violations of the occupation, as well as the opening of an organization office in occupied Jerusalem to follow up this issue, and send a special envoy of the Director-General of UNESCO to ensure the commitment of Israel occupying power to international law. Although the Israeli envoy to UNESCO has publicly committed to allowing the fact-finding committees to access and exercise their functions, the occupying power will not comply, and the reactions of the UN or the Director-General of the organization remain substandard towards Israel's breach of the obligations of its representative in the organization.

     The Ministry is gravely concerned with this provocative settlement project, and will immediately return it as a flagrant violation of the decisions of the Organization, and will be the main issue at future meetings of the new UNESCO session. The issue will be the basis for future meetings at the new UNESCO session. The Ministry will fully coordinate with the alliances in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in this regard, and the whole subject will be a major part in the speech of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Dr. Riad al-Malki in front of the General Assembly of UNESCO on the 15th of this month. Dr. Maliki will raise this issue in his meeting with the Director-General of the organization. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants will not pass this serious issue without taking serious steps in the organization on it. In the event that the organization fails to assume its responsibilities on the issue of the air train, other legal means will be considered to force the occupation and prevent it from continuing to implement its plans to change the status quo in occupied Jerusalem.