Arab parliamentarians meet in Amman for Jerusalem

By Laith Junaidi

AMMAN (AA) – An inter-Arab parliamentary conference kicked off in Amman on Sunday with a view to drawing support to the holy city of Jerusalem.

"The main topic of our conference is Jerusalem after the U.S. decision that undermined all human principles," Ali Abdelal, the head of the Arab Parliamentary Union, told the opening session.

In late 2017, the U.S. administration unilaterally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, triggering world outcry.

"This reckless decision…has run counter to all principles of international law and is legally invalid," said Abdelal, the speaker of the Egyptian parliament.

Atef Tarawneh, Speaker of the Jordanian parliament, called for rallying Arab efforts with a view to activating the joint Arab action.

The two-day meeting brings together speakers of 16 Arab parliaments along with representatives of other assemblies.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the decades-long Mideast conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- might one day serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.