Prominent Palestinian scholars lauded Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for hosting the emergency Islamic summit in Makkah.

Speaking to Al-Riyadh Arabic daily, they said the king’s call for the summit comes at its most appropriate time, and hoped that the Palestinian issue would figure high on the agenda of the summit.

Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, preacher at Al-Aqsa Mosque and head of the Supreme Islamic Commission of Jerusalem, said that the summit would be instrumental in finding solutions to some problems facing the Islamic nation.

“We ask the Muslim leaders to give top priority to the issue of Palestine and Jerusalem at the summit. The summit should consider the grave situation arising out of the ongoing Judaization of Jerusalem and the dangers caused to Al-Aqsa Mosque by the occupation forces as well as the extremist Jewish groups,” he said.

Sheikh Sabri said that it is high time to strengthen Islamic unity and solidarity so as to address potential challenges facing the Ummah.

“Our solidarity is a decisive factor in influencing the world’s policies. As the world is respecting only those with power and might, we have to restore glory through regaining strength and power. Disunity and discord among the Arabs and Muslims are responsible for their weakness and lack of respect,” he said while stressing the need for establishing a federation of Islamic states to bolster their cooperation in the political, economic and monetary realms following the example of the European Union.

Sheikh Sabri urged the summit to take concrete action on the decision taken by the Islamic summit held in Sirte, Libya two years ago to allocate $ 500 million for Jerusalem. “The decision is yet to be implemented,” he pointed out.

Sheikh Tayseer Al-Tameemi, secretary general of the Supreme Islamic Commission of Jerusalem and former chief justice of Jerusalem, hoped that the summit would come out with concrete proposals aimed at serving the Islamic nation in the best possible manner. “The summit is expected to energize the Islamic Ummah to play a pioneering role in the global society,” he said.

Mahmoud Al-Habash, Palestinian minister of endowments and religious affairs, said that a strong contingent of the Palestinian delegation, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, would attend the summit. Being the most influential Arab and Muslim leader, King Abdullah is playing a great role in strengthening Islamic unity and solidarity and the Makkah summit would be a major milestone in this regard, he said.

Meanwhile, Walid Jumblatt, leader of Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party, and parliament member, said that King Abdullah is using dialogue as a strong weapon to achieve Islamic unity and solidarity.

“By hosting the Makkah summit, the king is presenting dialogue once again as the way to address the potential challenges facing the Islamic nation, especially in the wake of the Arab Spring that aired aspirations of the Arab peoples for freedom, democracy and human rights.

The major changes being taken place in the Arab world required political discussions and deliberations at higher levels to explore the prospect of transforming these challenges to opportunities in a way serving the interests of the Ummah,” he said.