Saudi Arabia and seven other countries condemn Israeli expansionist policies
The foreign ministries of eight Islamic and Arab countries – the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Turkey, the Republic of Indonesia, and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan – issued a strongly worded joint statement expressing their categorical condemnation of recent Israeli moves aimed at changing the legal and historical status of the occupied West Bank.
A firm rejection of annexation and settlement plans
The joint statement affirmed the signatory states' complete rejection of illegal Israeli measures and decisions aimed at imposing sovereignty over parts of the West Bank and expanding settlements. These states considered the annexation attempts a flagrant violation of the principles of international law and the UN Charter, and a direct attack on the historical and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them their right to self-determination.
International references and UN resolutions
In grounding its position in legal terms, the statement cited resolutions of international law, specifically Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemns settlements and considers them a major obstacle to peace. The eight countries also noted the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which affirmed the illegality of the Israeli occupation and related practices in the Palestinian territories, emphasizing the invalidity of any measures aimed at altering the demographic or geographic character of the territories occupied since 1967.
Serious repercussions for regional security
The diplomatic group warned that Israel's continued expansionist policies will only fuel violence and conflict in the region. It explained that these practices not only threaten the future of the Palestinians but also pose a real danger to regional and international security and stability, systematically undermining any realistic chance of implementing the two-state solution, which enjoys international consensus as the only way to end the conflict.
A call to the international community and the Arab Peace Initiative
The countries concluded their statement by calling on the international community to uphold its moral and legal responsibilities by pressuring Israel to halt its dangerous escalation and the provocative statements made by its officials. They reaffirmed their commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative as a strategic option, emphasizing that a just and comprehensive peace can only be achieved through Israel's complete withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state within the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
