(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) New York, May 21 (QNA) - The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has expressed its strong rejection of, and opposition to, the panel display held at the UN depicting Occupied East Jerusalem as "The Spiritual and Physical Capital of the Jewish People".
On behalf of the OIC, Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al Otaibi, the OIC Chair, reaffirmed in a letter addressed to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that displaying such a portrait, especially at the United Nations, is "legally, politically and morally wrong".
Al Otaibi stressed that such act directly challenges the international legal principle prohibiting the acquisition of territory by force and numerous United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, which have determined clearly that East Jerusalem, the rest of the Palestinian territory and other Arabs lands occupied by Israel in June 1967 remain occupied and in no way is Israel sovereign over these territories, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.
"Both the Security Council and General Assembly have rejected Israel's illegal annexation of East Jerusalem via extension of its so-called "Basic Law" in 1980 and have condemned all policies and practices by Israel, the occupying Power, that deem to alter the demographic composition, character and status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and deemed them to be null and void in accordance with international law, including in particular international humanitarian law," he wrote.
"Moreover, the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations has reaffirmed the illegality of all such Israeli measures in this regard as well as the status of the Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, as occupied, he added.
Kuwait's representative called on the international community to reiterate that it is axiomatic that Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem and the rest of the Palestinian territory is illegal and inherently temporary and does not in any way lend the occupying power sovereignty or title over the occupied territory.
"Israel's status in that Territory remains that of an occupying Power with specific obligations towards the people and properties under occupation as per the Fourth Geneva Convention, and other relevant rules of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions," he confirmed in the letter.
Therefore, Al Otaibi representing the OIC, added that the act of allowing the display of such a panel abrogates the obligations and responsibilities of the United Nations, which has emphasized at various junctures, as noted above, that East Jerusalem remains an integral part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The OIC protest the exhibit for "misleading and inappropriate depictions of Jerusalem at the United Nations," and expressed that this display should not be permitted anywhere on United Nations premises.
With Israel's disrespect of international law, especially Security Council Resolution 478 of 1980, which does not recognize its annexation of East Jerusalem, Al Otaibi affirmed that such act should be rejected, not tolerated or appeased.
The OIC respectfully requested in its letter for the appropriate measures to be taken as soon as possible for the removal of the aforementioned panel, which is an affront to the Member States of the OIC, the State of Palestine included, and the majority of other Member States who respect international law, the applicable rules and legislation regarding this ongoing tragic conflict.
The Palestinian representation at the UN also voiced in a separate letter, its strong objection to such an exhibit of misleading and inappropriate depiction of Jerusalem, which negates the Palestinian existence in the City, as well as it is historical Arab, Muslim and Christian identity and heritage. (QNA)