Consultations continued here today on the question of convening an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to consider the status of Moslem holy places in Jerusalem following the fire on Aug. 21 which severely damaged El Aksa Mosque. The Council session is sought by 24 Moslem and Arabic countries. They want the United Nations to conduct an “impartial investigation” of the fire at El Aksa Mosque; to take action to prevent recurrence of any “act of vandalism against or profanation of the holy places of Jerusalem,” and to permit representatives of the Islamic countries to assess the damage to the mosque and prepare to execute plans for its repair.
The basic motivation of the call for the Council meeting would be to seek further action on Security Council resolutions ordering Israel not to change the status of Jerusalem.
(In Rome, the representatives of 18 Arab and Moslem nations signed a joint declaration made public today calling for the UN investigation, and referring to past resolutions of the Security Council objecting to Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem. A declaration signed by the 18 plus six other Moslem states did not refer to the previous Security Council resolutions on Jerusalem but called for an investigation of the mosque fire.)
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