Lebanese urge firm UN stance against Israel

Hundreds of people have gathered in the Lebanese capital city of Beirut in a show of protest against the Israeli practices in Jerusalem (al-Quds).

Crowds of demonstrators marched in front of a UN building in downtown Beirut on Friday in solidarity with the Palestinians in al-Quds who have been protesting the Israeli violations against the revered al-Aqsa Mosque, Press TV correspondent in Beirut, Ali Rizk, reported.

On Monday, Israel reopened a synagogue a few hundreds meters from the al-Aqsa Mosque compound — highly revered by Muslims as their third sanctity — in the Old City in occupied East al-Quds.

The move sparked an outrage among Palestinians who voiced concern over Tel Aviv's practices in the holy city and condemned Israeli efforts aimed at "Judaization" of the city Palestinians have been demanding as the capital of their future Palestinian state.

Lebanese protesters on Friday criticized the United Nations for becoming a tool in the hand of the United States and issued a statement calling on the world body to take action against the Israeli violation of Palestinians' rights.

They also called on Palestinian leaders in Ramallah to continue resistance rather than engaging in negotiations with Israel, urging them to follow the Lebanese movement Hezbollah in its fight against Israel's threats against the country.

The demonstrators further asked Arab governments to backtrack on their support for the US-sponsored "proximity talks" between Palestinians and Israelis and make a choice of resistance.

Beirut's demonstration comes while the Middle East Quartet has demanded Tel Aviv to heed international calls and halt its illegal settlement construction activity in the West Bank and East al-Quds.

Analysts have not shown much interest in the development as the US and the European Union — two members of the Quartet which also includes the UN and Russia — maintain deep bonds with Israel despite their purported differences with their close Mideast ally over its new settlement expansions in East al-Quds.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121211§ionid=351020203.