Khaled Osaily. خالد العسيلي رئيس بلدية الخيل السابق خالد العسيلي
Hebron mayor Khaled Osaily met this morning at his office with H.E. Mohamad Al Hamzaoui, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the PNA. Mr. Hamzaoui was accompanied by Mohamad Ziyad Al Ja’abari, President of the Moroccan-Palestinian Friendship Association and a number of the Embassy and Association’s staff. The meeting aimed at furthering ties and cooperation between Moroccan cities and Hebron and getting acquainted with political conditions as well as services provided in the city.
At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Khaled Osaily welcomed the guest and his accompanying delegation. He valued this visit to Hebron and the Ambassador’s interest in cooperation with the Municipality after he took office as Ambassador of Morocco to the PNA. Mayor Osaily underlined the depth of formal and popular ties between Morocco and Palestine. He stressed the importance of relations with the Arab world, namely with the Moroccan leadership and people who support the Palestinian cause and stand with Palestinians in their steadfastness and sacrifices, adding that Jerusalem lies in the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds. H.E King Mohammed VI is the chairman of the Jerusalem Committee and makes great efforts for this city and its sacred sites. Moreover, many Hebronites have graduated from Moroccan universities and are excellent ambassadors for Morocco in Palestine. This is illustrated by the Palestinian-Moroccan Friendship Association which is based in Hebron.
Osaily briefed his guests on the dramatic situation in the Old City, security measures imposed by occupation authorities and the unique political situation caused by the presence of a number of settlers who live in Palestinian homes taken by the force of arms from their rightful Palestinian owners, turning the lives of 40 thousand Palestinians into a living hell. Mayor Osaily also stressed the importance of twinning agreements between Hebron and both Fez and Casablanca in Morocco. He called for more cooperation in order to activate twinning initiatives with Moroccan cities and thanked Morocco for hosting ten young Hebronites in a Summer Camp in Morocco. He hoped to see many other future social, economic and cultural cooperation initiatives.
H.E. Mr. Hamzaoui reaffirmed the importance of cooperation between the Moroccan and Palestinian peoples given the blood and religion ties between them. He added that Moroccans unanimously stand by Palestinians in their struggle to establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. King Mohammed VI is an ardent supporter of this goal and works relentlessly in support of the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem. Ambassador Al Hamzaoui added that Moroccans welcome cooperation in all fields in order to help improve the lives of Palestinians, enhance ties between both peoples and facilitate activities and events co-organized by Hebron Municipality and Moroccan cities.
At the end of the meeting, symbolic gifts were exchanged and Ambassador Al Hamzaoui promised to return to Hebron in the near future to discuss joint action mechanisms.
