Arab and Muslim FMs condemn Israeli West Bank land decisions
The joint statement calls the measures illegal and warns of escalation and undermining the two-state solution
Foreign ministers from several Arab and Muslim countries issued a joint statement on Tuesday condemning recent Israeli cabinet decisions on West Bank land policy, calling them unlawful and warning they could escalate tensions in the region. The statement was released after Israel approved measures to register West Bank land as “state property,” a move critics say enhances Israeli control in the area.
The ministers, representing Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey, said the Israeli measures aim to impose “unlawful Israeli sovereignty,” entrench settlement activity, and enforce a new legal and administrative reality in the occupied West Bank. They described the actions as a violation of international law.
In their joint statement, the foreign ministers said the continuation of such policies would “fuel further violence and instability across the region” and undermine prospects for peace. They reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories and emphasized that the measures are “null and void.”
The ministers also cited United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemns actions aimed at altering the demographic composition and status of the West Bank. They urged the international community to “assume its legal and moral responsibilities” and take action to compel Israel to halt what they termed a “dangerous escalation.”
The joint condemnation comes after the cabinet approved a land registration process in the West Bank for the first time since 1967, a move government officials said would clarify rights and resolve legal disputes. Palestinians and rights groups have said the process will facilitate settlement expansion.
Regional and international reactions to the Israeli land policy have been wide, with the Arab League also denouncing the move as a “null and void unilateral measure” and warning it could exacerbate tensions and jeopardize the two‑state solution.