New York - Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The fifth annual international conference on the issue of Jerusalem was held. This year's conference focused on the impact of Israeli settlement policies on the Palestinian population of Jerusalem.
The conference was organized by the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People in cooperation with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The conference discussed the demographic changes resulting from the expansion of Israeli settlements and how they affect the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem. He also discussed the legal and human rights implications of Israel's settlement policy - including the impact on property rights, discriminatory zoning of municipal lands and freedom of movement.
The conference - which was held virtually online Thursday - served as a platform for Palestinian, Israeli and international experts to present their views to the international community, interact with member states and other parties, and discuss possible solutions and strategies to challenge such policies.

Palestinians feel cut off from the rest of the world
Ambassador Cheikh Niang, Chair of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, said the conference reviewed the impact of Israeli settlements on East Jerusalem, including the institutional, social and economic challenges facing the Palestinian population.
It also discussed recommendations for actions related to the United Nations database of companies facilitating Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, compiled by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Ambassador Niang said that Israeli policies aimed at bringing about demographic change, particularly through the establishment of settlements, forced displacement, and ongoing home demolitions in East Jerusalem, in addition to the tight control over Palestinian movements and daily business, make Palestinians feel trapped in isolated enclaves and excluded from the rest of the West Bank and the world. added:
“Israel restricts the ability of Palestinians to find work and housing, with a heavy social and economic impact on their daily lives, and imposes control through a complex system that limits access to their Jerusalem identity and residency rights.”
Sheikh Niang recalled the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, which took place on 15 May, with the aim of recalling the history and plight of the Palestine refugees, expressing his regret at the continuation of the process of dispossession since then.

The United Nations supports diplomatic efforts
In his turn, Mr. Khaled El-Khayari, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, said that the presence and expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank - including East Jerusalem - is directly linked to the escalation of Israeli settler violence.
He said that Israel - as the occupying power - is obligated to protect Palestinians and their property from acts of violence committed by armed settlers, and to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable.
He pointed out that the United Nations supports all diplomatic efforts that enable the two parties to resume a credible political process that leads to ending the occupation and establishing a just and lasting peace in the context of the two-state solution.
In this regard, the UN official welcomed the important discussions and understandings reached between senior Egyptian, Jordanian, Israeli, Palestinian and American officials in Aqaba, Jordan, and Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, earlier this year.
He urged all parties to take concrete steps to implement and expand the commitments made. added:
“The deepening of the occupation, settlement expansion, high levels of violence against civilians, including terrorist acts, and most importantly, the absence of a political horizon continue to undermine hope for a political solution to the conflict and an end to the occupation through the realization of a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as its capital, in line with relevant United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements.”
He affirmed the commitment of the United Nations to support the Palestinians and Israelis in order to achieve this goal.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation renews the call to stop settlement activities
Ambassador Ali Quwatali, representative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, renewed the organization's call for an immediate and complete cessation of all Israeli settlement activities.
He expressed the organization's appreciation for the recent position of the European Parliament, which called on EU member states to recognize the Palestinian state, stop settlement activities, and support the International Criminal Court in the investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the occupied Palestinian territories. He called on the European Union countries to implement these recommendations.

Palestinian Ambassador: Reiterating positions alone is not enough
In his speech at the conference, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour called for helping the Palestinians "in practical ways to put an end to this illegal occupation as soon as possible," noting that "there is frustration and anger among his people, who he said are" sick and tired of listening to and repeating positions without practical steps while their homes are being burned.
He added, "Repeating positions alone is not enough. This does not change the reality on the ground in a positive direction. We have to resort to practical steps. How long do we have to tell the Palestinian people to wait? Waiting is not an option."