King flays Israel’s anti-peace actions

Manama : Speaking about the Middle East crisis, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said peace process has become more sophisticated and rigid amid the persistence of Israel’s anti-peace practices, settlement polices, confiscation of lands, continued blockade of the Gaza Strip and repeated aggressions on the Palestinian people.

HM King’s stances were delivered by Deputy Premier Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa at the 13th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in Turkey.

“We emphasise firm rejection of this injustice, and call upon the International Community, especially the UN Security Council, to deter the Israeli occupation authorities for their intransigence,” HM the King said.

“We call for the need to resume the peace process based on the fundamentals of international resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative and the extraordinary Islamic Summit, held recently in Jakarta,” HM King added.

King Hamad also renewed the Kingdom’s support for the United Arab Emirates’ right to regain its Iran-occupied three islands through direct negotiations or by referring the issue to the International Court of Justice. 

This will achieve security and peace, re-build good neighbourliness relations based on the respect for countries’ sovereignty and independence, HM the King explained.

“Our national and humanitarian duty requires us to strengthen coordination either among our countries or with the various countries of the world,” His Majesty said. 

“Interference would deepen the problems without contributing to the development of the appropriate solutions that ensure security and the right to build a bright future for the coming generations,” King Hamad added.

HM King reiterated the Kingdom’s firm support of Yemen through the participation in the Saudi-led Arab Coalition. 

“We hope that negotiations in brotherly Kuwait will lead to stability in Yemen within a framework of legitimacy and consensus among all parties,” HM the King stated. 

On Syria, HM King stressed the importance of putting an end to foreign interference and military escalation to pave the way for international efforts to end the dangerous crisis.

HM King Hamad expressed hope that the summit would come up with unified Islamic stances on Islamic issues.