Speaker seeks concerted act against Israeli crimes – ‘UNHRC must prevent violations’

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RABAT, March 20, (KUNA): It is imperative that Arab parliaments act in unison against Israeli violations of United Nations (UN) resolutions, Kuwait’s National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim said on Monday. Al-Ghanim made the remarks to open the 24th conference of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU) in the Moroccan capital, where he underscored the need for AIPU to act in a coherent and organized manner.

The former AIPU Chairman also noted that time for talk was over and that diplomacy should be utilized as a tool to pile up pressure on Israel, citing UN resolution 2334, which deals with Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands. “We remain steadfast in our aim to use an event of such magnitude to take a clear political stance on Israel,” Al- Ghanim said.

He added that diplomatic action against Israel is needed, including “ the suspension of the Israeli Knesset’s membership in the Inter-Parliamentary Union for its infraction of the very essence of the union.”

Moreover, the Kuwaiti National Assembly Speaker spoke of his sanguine expectations that “Arab nations will ultimately succeed.” Al- Ghanim is heading a Kuwait parliamentary delegation comprising Undersecretary of the Parliamentary Caucus Rakan Al- Nisf, Caucus Secretary Dr Odah Al-Ruwaiee, Treasurer Walid Al-Tabtabaei, members of the Caucus Executive Committee Omar Al-Tabtabaei and Yousef Al-Fadhalah, besides MPs Safaa Al-Hashem, Al-Humaidi Al- Subaiee and Ali Al-Deqbasi. Kuwait is pushing the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to keep addressing the issue of Israeli violations on Arab soil and that it should be part and parcel of UNHRC’s agenda. The remarks were made by Kuwait’s permanent delegate to the UN Ambassador Jamal Al-Ghunaim on Monday, during compelling discussions held with the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories Michael Lynk.

The Kuwaiti diplomat noted that his country’s unwavering commitment to the Palestinian issue stems from the “graveness of Israeli violations that are tantamount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.” Moreover, Al-Ghunaim said that “turning a blind eye to Israeli violations will only embolden the country to continue violating international humanitarian laws, adding that “Kuwait vehemently condemns Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people.”

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s permanent delegate to the UN voiced Kuwait’s growing concerns over increasing Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, practices he slammed as unlawful and catastrophic. Al-Ghunaim also excoriated Israel for its blockade on Gaza, which induced a wide array of humanitarian crises, saying that Kuwait will remain steadfast in its support of the Palestinian people.

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