“The Israeli regime has continued to ignore all appeals of the outside world to cease and reverse its racist policies and practices against the Palestinian people,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday.

He made the remarks in his address to the Extraordinary Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Istanbul to discuss the recent developments in al-Aqsa Mosque.

“We in the Islamic Ummah should, first and foremost, close our ranks in a unified global campaign to thwart the Zionist attempts to conceal their criminal policies and practices,” he added.

Here is the full text of his statement:

In the Name of God

Mr. Chairman,

Dear Colleagues,

Allow me to begin by expressing my appreciation to the people and government of the Republic of Turkey for hosting this important meeting to address the deteriorating situation in al-Quds al-Sharif. We strongly condemn the latest episode of Zionist aggression and provocation, which indicate absolute contempt for international law aiming to alter the historic status of Haram al-Sharif, change the demography and assert control over the Islamic holy sites in the heart of Occupied al-Quds al-Sharif. We take pride in the resolute resistance of the Palestinian People which brought this act of aggression to an end.

The city continues to suffocate because of a prolonged siege characterized by checkpoints, occupying forces, illegal settlements, armed and violent settlers, and humiliation, discrimination and oppression of its Palestinian inhabitants.

We should not also forget the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, who remain under illegal blockade, in an act of collective punishment, and are deprived from basic necessities even vital medicine, clean water and energy. This deliberate humanitarian nightmare requires urgent remedy through ending the blockade immediately.

Mr. Chairman,

The Israeli regime has continued to ignore all appeals of the outside world to cease and reverse its racist policies and practices against the Palestinian people. We in the Islamic Ummah should, first and foremost, close our ranks in a unified global campaign to thwart the Zionist attempts to conceal their criminal policies and practices. We should all resist any attempt to divert our collective attention from the main goal that brought us together in the OIC. We should not allow any agenda or cause to compromise the main goal of this Organization to enhance the unity of the Ummah against Zionist expansionism and in support of the establishment of a viable independent Palestinian State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. We should not allow the Zionist to set our agenda or manufacture new causes to ensure their impunity for the crimes they have perpetrated against all of us. We should not be misled by their empty gestures and the illusive mirage of their promises.

We need to engage with one voice with the international community, particularly the Security Council, to put an end to the culture of impunity for the Israeli regime and compel it to cease and reverse its criminal policies and practices.