Tunisian president reaffirms support for Palestinian statehood in talks with Arab League chief

Tunis, April 16 (IANS) Tunisian President Kais Saied reaffirmed his country's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Speaking during a meeting on Tuesday, with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit in Tunis, Saied said Palestinian rights are upheld not only by international law but also by moral and spiritual principles, according to a statement from the Tunisian Presidency.

Saied strongly condemned Israel of seeking to "destroy" the Palestinian people and their will to achieve independence. Despite these efforts, he said, Palestinians remain determined to defend their land and freedom, Xinhua news agency reported.

The talks also covered broader joint Arab efforts aimed at strengthening the region's influence amid what Saied called "rapid and unprecedented" global changes. He stressed the importance of the Arab world playing a more active role as the current international order undergoes transformation.

According to the statement, Aboul Gheit expressed support for Saied's vision and confirmed his participation in the upcoming Arab League summit in Baghdad, scheduled for May.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday that he opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, reaffirming his long-held position amid mounting international support for a two-state solution.

In a phone call, Netanyahu expressed to Macron his "strong opposition" to Palestinian statehood, calling it "a major reward for terrorism," according to a statement from his office.

He warned that a Palestinian state founded "just minutes" from Israeli cities would become "a stronghold of Iranian terrorism," and added that "an overwhelming majority of the Israeli public strongly opposes it."

--IANS

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