Amman, August 15 (Petra)– In a joint statement, 31 Arab and Islamic nations strongly denounced Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister (the occupying power), for his remarks about the so-called “Greater Israel,” as reported by Israeli media. These remarks directly threaten Arab national security, state sovereignty, regional and global security, and peace. They also constitute a flagrant and dangerous violation of the principles of stable international relations and the rules of international law.
The Foreign Ministers of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the Republic of Chad, the Union of the Comoros, the Republic of Djibouti, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Gambia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Iraq, the State of Kuwait, the Lebanese Republic, the State of Libya, the Republic of Maldives, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Sultanate of Oman, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the State of Palestine, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Senegal, the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Republic of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Yemen, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, issued the statement.
“Arab and Islamic countries will adopt all policies and measures that frame and consolidate peace, in a manner that achieves the interests of all countries and peoples in terms of security, stability, and development, far from the illusion of control and the imposition of force,” they emphasized in a joint statement, while affirming their respect for international legitimacy and the United Nations Charter, specifically Article 2, paragraph 4, which forbids the use or threat of force.
The hardline Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s acceptance of the settlement plan in the E1 area and his racist remarks opposing the creation of a Palestinian state were also strongly denounced by them. They view this as an egregious breach of international law and an outright attack on the Palestinian people’s intrinsic right to create their own sovereign, independent state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with occupied Jerusalem as its capital. They underlined that the occupied Palestinian region is not under Israeli jurisdiction.
In a clear violation of international law and Security Council resolutions, specifically Resolution 2334, which denounces all Israeli settlement activities aimed at altering the demographic makeup, character, and legal status of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine, they reaffirmed their categorical rejection and condemnation of this settlement plan and all unlawful Israeli measures.
Additionally, they reiterated the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion, which highlighted the illegality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory and the necessity of ending it right once, eradicating its consequences, and restoring for any damages.
They issued warnings about the dangers of Israeli policies and intentions to annex Palestinian territories, as well as the ongoing expansionist settlement strategy of the Israeli government in the occupied West Bank. These include settler terrorism, daily incursions into Palestinian cities, villages, and camps, the systematic destruction of Palestinian refugee camps, the displacement of Palestinians from their homes, and attempts to damage Christian and Islamic holy sites, most notably the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif. In addition to undermining the likelihood of a fair and complete peace in the area, these actions directly contribute to the continuation of violent and conflictual cycles. Additionally, they cautioned against depending on racist and ideological delusions, which might escalate the conflict, make it harder to manage or forecast its trajectory, and endanger regional and global security.
In a similar development, the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic nations reaffirmed their opposition to and denunciation of the crimes of ethnic cleansing, genocide, and Israeli invasion. In order to stop Israel’s deliberate policy of hunger as a tool of genocide, they also reaffirmed the necessity of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and guaranteed unrestricted access to humanitarian aid. This calls for the opening of the crossings with the Gaza Strip, an immediate end to the lethal Israeli blockade of the Strip, and full accountability from Israel, the occupying power, for the fallout from its crimes in the Gaza Strip, including the breakdown of the relief and health infrastructure.
In order to prepare for the Arab-Islamic plan’s early recovery and reconstruction efforts, they reiterated their utter and total rejection of the displacement of Palestinians in any way and under any pretext. They also urged the international community to put pressure on Israel to stop its aggression and completely leave the Gaza Strip.
They also underlined that the State of Palestine must take over governance duties in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with Arab and international assistance, in accordance with the political agenda of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the only authorized representative of the Palestinian people. The Gaza Strip is an essential component of the occupied Palestinian territory.
In light of this, they urged the international community in particular, the
permanent members of the Security Council, like the United States to fulfill their moral and legal obligations and act right now to pressure Israel to stop its dangerous escalation in the occupied West Bank and its continuous aggression against the Gaza Strip, as well as to stop its officials’ inflammatory and delusional remarks. Additionally, they demanded that Israel protect the Palestinian people internationally, allow them to exercise their legitimate rights chief among them being the right to create an independent, sovereign state on their own territory and hold those responsible for crimes and violations against the Palestinian people accountable.
//Petra// MF
15/08/2025 22:26:04
