The Arab Parliament on Wednesday condemned Israeli attempts to undermine the Islamic and Christian character of Jerusalem and paint the crisis in the city as a property dispute.
The pan-Arab body held an online session hosted by the UAE and led by the head of the Arab Parliament and Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council, Saqr Ghobash.
Speakers from member states strongly condemned Israeli attacks on Palestinian worshippers in Al Aqsa Mosque and the attempts by Jewish settler groups to confiscate Palestinian land in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.
“We are condemning Israel for its human rights violations in Jerusalem and forced evictions of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah,” Mr Ghobash said.
“We will stand up with the Palestinians against Israel’s relentless efforts to implement its Judaisation of Jerusalem scheme, which directly obliterates the sanctity of both Muslim and Christian holy sites in Al Quds.”
The speaker of the Jordanian parliament said that what Israel calls a "real-estate dispute" is a microcosm of the disproportionate use of force and the unbalanced Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Tension rose in Jerusalem over the threatened evictions of Palestinian families living in Sheikh Jarrah and clashes erupted inside Al Aqsa Mosque when Israeli security forces entered the compound during Friday prayers.
Action not words
The Arab League created the Arab Parliament in 2001. Its headquarters was in Damascus until 2012, when many countries cut ties with Syria at the start of the civil war.
The parliament’s statements are non-binding.
The heads of Arab parliaments said that, since Israel illegally annexed East Jerusalem after the 1967 war, the country has enacted policies and plans to create an “Israeli-Jewish Jerusalem”.
Several speakers used strong language in fiery speeches, labelling Israel an enemy as tension in the region continues to boil.
The Lebanese representative used part of his speech to recite an Arab poem that speaks of love for Jerusalem.
But the Palestinian delegate, the secretary general of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Mohamed Sobeih, told the session they wanted actions not words.
“Israelis’ racist fires have been raging in Al Quds while the people of Gaza are coming under a new aggression from a pariah state.”
The head of the Qatari Consultative Assembly, Ahmed Al Mahmoud, said: "We want to restore the trust of the Arab peoples. It's high time we acted now and there should be no compromise about the Palestinian cause."
Speaker of the Kuwaiti Parliament, Marzouk Al Ghanim, said any symbolic act in the Arab world helps to support the Palestinian cause.
“You are not alone in this struggle,” he said, addressing the Palestinians.
The latest violence and hostilities in Jerusalem and the Gaza strip are the most intense in years.
Militant groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, launched more than 1,000 rockets, including hundreds aimed at Tel Aviv, according to the Israeli Army.
Israel responded with devastating air strikes on Gaza, killing dozens of Palestinians, including children and at least two senior Hamas leaders.
The wave of clashes in mixed Jewish-Arab towns fuelled fears that the violence could spiral into a third intifada.
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Results
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