Khaberni - The Foreign Ministers of Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt condemn in the strongest terms the decision issued by Israel to classify lands in the occupied West Bank as what is called "State Lands", and the approval of initiating broad-scale land registration and settlement procedures in the occupied West Bank, for the first time since 1967.
According to a joint statement, this illegal step constitutes a serious escalation aiming to accelerate unlawful settlement activities, land confiscation, reinforcement of Israeli control, and imposition of illegal Israeli sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory, undermining the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
The ministers affirm that these actions represent a flagrant violation of international law and humanitarian international law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as a violation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 2334.
This decision is also in contradiction with the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice regarding the legal consequences arising from Israeli policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory, which emphasized the illegality of measures aimed at altering the legal, historical, and demographic status of the occupied Palestinian territory, and the necessity to end the occupation, and prohibit land seizure by force.
This step reflects an attempt to impose a new legal and administrative reality aimed at entrenching control over the occupied land, undermining the two-state solution, squandering the prospects for establishing an independent and viable Palestinian state, and jeopardizing chances for achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region.
The ministers renew their absolute rejection of all unilateral measures aimed at changing the legal, demographic, and historical status of the occupied Palestinian territory, and emphasize that these policies represent a serious escalation likely to increase the intensity of tension and instability in the occupied Palestinian territory and the region as a whole. They also call on the international community to assume its responsibilities and take clear and decisive steps to stop these violations, ensure respect for international law, and safeguard the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination, end the occupation, and establish their sovereign independent state on the borders of June 4, 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.
