RAMALLAH, Palestine

The 9th International Conference on the Holy City of Jerusalem kicked off in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.  

The conference was also attended by numerous delegations from across the Arab and Muslim world.  

Speaking at the event, Youssef Edies, Palestinian minister of religious endowments, described Jerusalem as “the birthplace of religions”.  

“We must focus Arab, Muslim and international efforts on resisting the fierce western onslaught against the Holy Land,” he asserted.  

Munib Masri, chairman of the Jerusalem Endowment, stressed Jerusalem’s importance for both Muslims and Christians.

“The world must understand that there can never be peace until the Jerusalem file is satisfactorily resolved,” he said.  

He added: “Jerusalem requires practical initiatives and financial support with a view to strengthening the resolve of its people.”  

Hanna Issa, secretary-general of the Palestinian Authority’s Muslim-Christian Committee, for his part, warned that more than 95 percent of Jerusalem had already been “Judaized” by Israel.  

“Israel wants to establish its so-called ‘Greater Jerusalem’ on an area of 600 square kilometers, which would mean the destruction of the city’s churches and mosques,” Issa said.