Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 30/12/2009
The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, strongly condemned Israel's decision to issue tenders for the construction of some 700 new settlement units in East Jerusalem as part of a project that includes the construction of more than six thousand new settlement units. He affirmed that the Israeli decision represents a serious escalation that falls within an Israeli plan to judaize East Jerusalem and cut it off from its Palestinian environs. Ihsanoglu called for a cessation of all settlement projects in the occupied Palestinian territories, which constitute a flagrant violation of international law. He warned of the seriousness of the situation in East Jerusalem, especially the repeated violations and aggressions that target the Holy city and its sacred Arab and Islamic sites, seeking to change its identity. The Secretary General called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities by bringing pressure to bear on the Israeli government and compelling it to put an end to all its settlement activities and to its incessant violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territories.
