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RIYADH — The Council of Ministers on Monday slammed the announcement of the Israeli authorities to establish a new settlement in the West Bank for the first time in over 20 years.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the weekly session of the Cabinet at Al-Yamama Palace in Riyadh.
Adel Al-Turaifi, minister of culture and information, said in a statement following the session, that the Cabinet denounced the Israeli move to build 2,000 new settlement units and its declaration of 977 dunams of occupied Palestinian territories as state land.
Reiterating the Kingdom’s firm position toward the Palestinian issue and condemning all illegal Israeli practices, the Cabinet renewed its call to the international community to compel Israel to halt all such arbitrary and racial practices against the Palestinian people, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
At the outset of the session, King Salman thanked King Abdullah of Jordan and its people for the warm reception accorded to him and the accompanying delegation during the recent visit to Jordan to attend the Arab League summit.
The King said the fruitful talks with Jordanian leaders and inking of several agreements reflect the strong fraternal bilateral relations between the two kingdoms.
King Salman appreciated the efforts of Jordan in making the Arab Summit a big success strengthening fraternal bonds among Arab and Muslim states. He also welcomed Arab leaders to the 29th session of the summit scheduled to be held in Riyadh.
Al-Turaifi said the Cabinet lauded the decisions taken by the 28th Arab League summit to serve Arab causes, especially the Amman Declaration that reiterated the keenness of Arab leaders to address the problems and challenges facing the Arab world.
Al-Turaifi said the Cabinet praised the security forces for their successful operation at a farm in Awamiyah town in Qatif governorate in the Eastern Province used by terrorist elements in planning and preparing to carry out terror attacks.
The Cabinet approved one week delay in the beginning of the new academic year by changing the date from 19 to 26 Dhul Hijjah, 1438.
© The Saudi Gazette 2017
