Somalia Reaffirms Palestine Support at Arab League Meeting In Cairo

GOOBJOOG NEWS | CAIRO: Somalia has reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian cause at a high-level Arab League meeting in Cairo, where Arab states called for stronger international action over Israeli measures in occupied Jerusalem and closer coordination to protect the city’s Islamic and Christian holy sites.

Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali represented the country at the 166th Ordinary Session of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level, which discussed the Palestinian issue alongside regional peace, security and cooperation.

Somalia also participated in the 11th meeting of the Arab Ministerial Committee on Illegal Israeli Measures in Occupied Jerusalem, reaffirming its support for Palestinians and collective Arab diplomatic efforts.

The Jerusalem committee called for stronger political and diplomatic pressure on Israel to halt what it described as violations against holy sites and urged greater engagement with the UN Security Council. It also agreed to strengthen cooperation with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, with a joint Arab-Islamic ministerial meeting on Jerusalem expected to take place during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly in New York later this month.

The committee also welcomed a Qatari initiative to establish a mechanism, including a media platform, to document and publicise alleged Israeli violations in Jerusalem. It condemned plans for 1,234 settlement units under the E1 plan east of Jerusalem, warning that the project could further undermine the territorial continuity of a future Palestinian state.

Somalia’s participation carries added diplomatic weight because it is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and is part of the Arab ministerial committee dealing with Jerusalem. The committee includes Somalia alongside Jordan, Iraq, Tunisia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco and Bahrain.

The Cairo meetings provide an opportunity for Somalia to coordinate its position with Arab states on the Palestinian issue while reinforcing its wider diplomatic engagement on regional peace and security.

The latest discussions also come ahead of the UN General Assembly’s high-level meetings in New York, where Arab and Islamic countries are expected to pursue further diplomatic coordination over Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories.