US Ambassador's statements: International condemnation and a threat to Middle East security
The statements made by the US ambassador to Israel, in which he referred to what he described as “Israel’s right to expand,” sparked a wide wave of Arab and international condemnations, with the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs considering them a direct threat to security and stability in the region and an undermining of the foundations of international law.
In an official statement, the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace strongly condemned these remarks, with its president, Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Jarwan, asserting that they contradict the established principles governing relations between states. Al-Jarwan explained that such positions provide political cover for illegal expansionist and settlement practices, pose a serious threat to regional and international security, and undermine the prospects for achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on respect for the sovereignty of states and the rights of peoples.
The historical context of the settlement issue
These statements come in the context of the issue of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, which is one of the most sensitive and fundamental issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The international community, under numerous UN Security Council resolutions, most notably Resolution 2334, considers the settlements established in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal and a flagrant violation of international law, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its own population into the territory it occupies. This issue has long been a major obstacle to peace efforts based on the two-state solution, which enjoys international consensus as the clearest path to ending the conflict.
Expected effects on regional stability
The danger of these statements lies in their anticipated impact on various levels. Domestically, there are fears that such positions will encourage the Israeli government to accelerate settlement construction and land confiscation, further undermining the prospects for a geographically contiguous and viable Palestinian state. Regionally, they place US allies in the region in a difficult position with their own populations, complicate normalization efforts, and fuel popular frustration and anger. Internationally, these statements challenge the global consensus on the Palestinian issue and threaten to undermine the credibility of the US role as an impartial mediator in the peace process.
A firm Saudi stance
For its part, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its condemnation and categorical rejection of these irresponsible statements, considering them a violation of international law, the UN Charter, and diplomatic norms. The Kingdom affirmed that this extremist rhetoric constitutes a dangerous precedent and a disregard for the distinguished relations that bind the countries of the region to the United States. It warned that such policies threaten global peace and security and undermine the foundations of the international order based on respect for the sovereignty of states. The Kingdom reiterated its firm position that the only path to peace is ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
