Flags of Arab nations at the Arab League headquarters (photo: Reuters)
Arab foreign ministers will hold on Monday an emergency meeting at the Arab League (AL) in Cairo to discuss recent developments in the region, means of strengthening Arab solidarity, as well as ways of dealing with the anticipated foreign policies of the new Biden administration in Washington.
According to Al-Arabiya, the meeting, which will be led by Egypt as the current chair of the AL, could see the passing of a resolution reaffirming the league's commitment to a two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Arab countries's support to the Palestinians.
The meeting comes two days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a preliminary ruling which stipulates the court has jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, paving the way for a possible opening of an investigation into violations and war crimes by Israel in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
The AL has welcomed the ICC's decision.
Hossam Zaki, the assistant secretary general to the Arab League, said in remarks to the media on Sunday evening that the emergency meeting was called as per an Egyptian-Jordanian initiative, noting that it is the first face-to-face meeting for the AL's foreign ministers since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
Zaki added that the Arab states, including those who have normalized relations with Israel, hold the same stance toward the Palestinian cause, including a commitment to establishing an indpendent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.
He said he expects that consensus among Arab states on a proposed draft resolution that reaffirms the Arab nations’ constant stances on Palestine will be reached in the meeting.
Zaki added that the last meeting of the foreign ministers of the AL in September was not an example of a succesful AL meeting because member states failed to reach a consensual position on normalization agreements recently signed by four Arab states with Israel.
UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan signed US-brokered normalization agreements with Israel in 2020. However, all four countries maintained their commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause and backing a two-state solution.
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