RABAT - Kings Mohammed VI of Morocco and Abdallah II of Jordan urged rival Palestinian factions Monday to work together and expressed their opposition to the extension of Israeli settlements.
In a joint statement during a working visit to Morocco by Jordan's monarch, both men also expressed their "unbreakable and permanent will to defend the holy city (Jerusalem) and protect it against Israeli bids to Judaize it and change its Arab-Muslim status."
With Palestinian factions pitted against one another, the kings pressed for "the re-establishment of Palestinian unity, by both talks and action" to bring about a "united Palestinian government ahead of legislative and presidential elections."
The monarchs "totally reject the construction and expansion of Israeli colonies" and demanded "the lifting of all forms of blockade" imposed against the Palestinian people.
At the heart of conflict, Jerusalem had "through all time" been a "place for coexistence and tolerance among the three monotheistic religions" and it was a vital "necessity to preserve" this status, the statement said.
King Abdallah II arrived Sunday in Fes in central Morocco to discuss both bilateral relations and the situation in the Middle East.
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