Iraqi Analyst Highlights OIC’s Incompetence Regarding Palestinian Issue
Speaking to IQNA, Mohammad Ali al-Hakim, who is also the director of Iraq’s al-Nakhil news agency, expressed doubt that an upcoming OIC meeting about the recent development at al-Aqsa Mosque would yield any results.
The OIC is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss Quds and the latest acts of aggression by the Zionist regime against al-Aqsa Mosque.
"This meeting would have no results and benefits for the Palestinian nation just as other OIC meetings about the Intifadas (uprisings) in Palestine have been futile and in some cases even have been to the detriment of the people of Palestine,” al-Hakim said.
He referred to the Saudi influence on the organization and said it is regrettable because the Al Saud regime is a mercenary of Israel in the region, especially since the coming to power of Salman bin Abdul Aziz and selection of Muhammad bin Salman as Saudi crown prince.
The Iraqi analyst said some Persian Gulf Arab countries purportedly condemn Israeli crimes against Palestinians but in reality their rulers have been holding meetings with the Zionist regime delegations.
Such meetings would be held in secret in the past, but recently, delegations from such Arab countries as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have met with the Zionists in the open, he deplored.
Elsewhere, al-Hakim referred to al-Aqsa Mosque as a redline for the Islamic Ummah and the Palestinian nation and said no matter how much difference there is among Arab and Muslim countries, they should unite in defending Quds and al-Aqsa.
He said the Zionist regime benefits from disputes among Muslim countries and that is why it seeks to foment discord in the Muslim world.
He also called for formation of a coalition of the resistance groups in the region, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iraqi Popular Forces (known as Hashd al-Shaabi), saying such a coalition could put an end to the Zionist occupation of Palestine.
Elsewhere, al-Hakim underlined that Muslims and Arabs have no problems with Jews but what they are against is the Zionists who have occupied Muslim lands and forced Palestinians out of their motherland.
The source of troubles and sufferings in Iraq, Syria and other parts of the region and the origin of Takfiri terrorist groups like Daesh (ISIL or ISIS), al-Nusra, and al-Qaeda, is the Zionist regime of Israel, he went on to say.
His comments came as tensions have escalated in the Occupied lands, especially the holy city of Quds in recent days.
On July 14, three Palestinians opened fire on Israeli forces at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, killing two of them before being shot dead.
At least four people were injured near the Lion's Gate, which is known as Bab al-Asbat in Arabic, on Friday.
Local sources, requesting anonymity, said nine citizens were injured during clashes in the towns of al-Eizariya, which lies in Area B of the occupied West Bank, as well as Abu Dis.
Additionally, a number of Palestinian civilians were wounded when Israeli soldiers fired live and rubber-coated steel bullets in Qalandia checkpoint and Salahuddin Street in central Quds.
Israeli forces also cordoned off the road leading to Qalandia refugee camp and fired shots to disperse a crowd of worshipers who had gathered there. At least 15 worshipers sustained gunshot wounds as a result.
About 30 citizens were also struck with rubber bullets during clashes in the central West Bank city of Bethlehem, located about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) south of Quds.
The occupied Palestinian territories have witnessed new tensions ever since Israeli forces introduced restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Quds in August 2015.
More than 300 Palestinians have lost their lives at the hands of Israeli forces in the ongoing tensions since the beginning of October 2015.
he Tel Aviv regime has tried to change the demographic makeup of Quds over the past decades by constructing settlements, destroying historical sites and expelling the local Palestinian population. Palestinians say the Israeli measures are aimed at paving the way for the Judaization of the city.
The al-Aqsa Mosque compound is a flashpoint Islamic site, which is also holy to Jews. The mosque is Islam’s third holiest site after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
