Arab Quartet convenes in Cairo next week to debate Israeli settlement: official

The Arab Quartet is to convene in Cairo next week to discuss a bid to be presented to the United Nations Security Council about anti Israeli settlement in the Palestinian territories, a senior official said Thursday.

Jamal Shoubaki, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) representative in the Arab League, who is currently in Cairo, told Xinhua that the Arab Quartet will decide on when the bid will be presented.

The Arab Quartet comprises Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and one of the major files the Quartet is concerned about is following up the Palestinian cause and the conflict with Israel.

"The Quartet may convene in Cairo either on 17th or 19th of December in the Arab League headquarters in Cairo," said al-Shoubaki, adding that "an Arab and international position is needed to halt expansion of settlement in Palestine."

The senior Palestinian diplomat stressed that "Israeli settlement is completely illegal and violates the international law because it rapes the Palestinian land and also it is a war crime."

Earlier, senior Palestinian diplomats had stated that heading with a bid to the UN Security Council to halt Israeli settlement "needs an Arab decision in order to guarantee a successful voting."

The Palestinian bid would call on Israel to halt all settlement activities immediately and fully respect its legal responsibilities as well as avoid using all means of violence, terror and provocations by settlers. Endit