ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (DNA): The Foreign Ministers of Islamic and Arab countries have expressed their strong condemnation and profound concern regarding the statements made by the United States Ambassador to Israel, in which he indicated that it would be acceptable for Israel to exercise control over territories belonging to Arab states, including the occupied West Bank.
In a joint statement the foreign ministers of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Lebanese Republic, the Syrian Arab Republic, and the State of Palestine, and the secretariats of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the League of Arab States (LAS), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), berated US envoy’s statement.
“They affirm their countries’ categorical rejection of such dangerous and inflammatory remarks, which constitute a flagrant violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and pose a grave threat to the security and stability of the region,” the Foreign Office Spokesperson, shared the joint statement with media on Sunday.
The ministries stressed that these statements directly contradict the vision put forward by U.S. President Donald J. Trump, as well as the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, which are based on containing escalation and creating a political horizon for a comprehensive settlement that ensures the Palestinian people have their own independent state.
They underscored that the plan was grounded in promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence, and that remarks seeking to legitimize control over the lands of others undermined these objectives, fuelled tensions, and constituted incitement rather than advancing peace.
“The Ministries reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty whatsoever over the Occupied Palestinian Territory or any other occupied Arab lands. They reiterated their firm rejection of any attempts to annex the West Bank or separate it from the Gaza Strip, their strong opposition to the expansion of settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and their categorical rejection of any threat to the sovereignty of Arab states,” it was asserted.
They further warned that the continuation of Israel’s expansionist policies and unlawful measures would only inflame violence and conflict in the region and undermine the prospects for peace and called for an end to these incendiary statements.
The ministries underscored their countries’ steadfast commitment to the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to the establishment of their independent state along the lines of 4 June 1967, and the end of the occupation of all Arab lands.
