Cairo, Nov. 25, 2019, SPA -- At the opening session of their emergency meeting held here today on Palestine, Arab foreign ministers reaffirmed their categorical rejection and condemnation of the US position on Israeli settlements, in the occupied Palestinian territories, describing it as an unfortunate shift that undermines the two-state solution. The Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali Al-Hakim, Chairman of the current session of the League Council, at the level of foreign minister, called on the Arab countries to work collectively and more effectively to develop an international opinion rejecting the US approach on Israeli settlements, stressing that such US decisions contribute to fuel the situation in the Arab region and reflect negatively on its security and stability. Al-Hakim said that the Iraqi government believes that the US position represents legitimization of the Zionist occupation and a change of historical realities on the ground that hinders efforts to find a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue. For his part, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Abul-Gheit, said that the US declaration on Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, is a very negative and regrettable shift in the American position as it does not appreciate the current administration and its long-term implications. Abul-Gheit added that what is really disturbing about this declaration is its negative impact on any horizon to achieve peace, in the future, because the recognition of the legitimacy of the settlements implied a recognition of the reality of the occupation, pointing out that the US administration made great promises to achieve a "grand bargain" that ends the conflict and make the dream of peace a reality. What we have seen is a complete identification with the wishes and perceptions of the Israeli right, in its extreme Likud version, he went on to say. He concluded stressing the condemnation of this unfortunate declaration, which ignores, right out, the idea of international law itself, calling on all countries of the world to address such an approach, while welcoming the status of international consensus against the American declaration, which was automatically entailed, and expressed by the Security Council meeting, held on 20 November. --SPA 19:45 LOCAL TIME 16:45 GMT 0036 www.spa.gov.sa/w1216912