REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for financial assistance from countries and international institutions to protect Palestine's economy.

"Israel has continued its economic colonialization against Palestine people --- Muslims and Christians alike --- by overly imposing taxes and closing investment opportunities," he stated at the opening of the 5th Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Extraordinary Summit here on Monday.

Israel has even attempted to wipe out the existence of the Palestinian people by conducting illegal occupation and demolishing houses around Al Quds (Jerusalem), he pointed out.

To make the 5th OIC Extraordinary Summit's resolution effective, he called on all OIC members to increase their financial assistance, especially for protecting Al Quds where Al Aqsa mosque, which is a holy site for Muslims, is located.

"Ensuring the preservation of Al Quds is an important task that we must carry out together," he affirmed.

President Abbas lauded the Islamic Development Bank and the management of Al Quds and Al Aqsa funds for their efforts in helping the Palestinian people.

He emphasized the importance of developing a special program to empower the economy of the Palestinians around Al Quds and other occupied lands to especially finance various projects needed to ensure a decent standard of living for the Palestinian people.

"In this respect, the OIC secretary general and the Islamic Development Bank would play an important role in the implementation of the mechanism for the program," he remarked.

President Abbas expressed that concrete results would come from the summit, which was being attended by 605 delegations from 57 countries, to help protect Al Quds and the rights of the Palestine people to independence and self-reliance similar to other nations in the world.

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