Egypt, Arab, Islamic nations condemn Knesset declaration on 'Israeli sovereignty' over West Bank - Foreign Affairs
This came in a joint statement by Egypt, Bahrain, Indonesia, Jordan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Nigeria, as well as the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
On Wednesday, the Israeli Knesset voted 71-13 in favour of a non-binding draft resolution supporting the imposition of so-called 'Israeli sovereignty' over the occupied West Bank, a move that would initiate the annexation process.
The Arab and Islamic joint statement considered the Knesset's approval of the declaration a blatant and unacceptable violation of international law and a flagrant breach of relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, foremost among which are Resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), and 2334 (2016).
These resolutions affirm the invalidity of all measures and decisions seeking to legitimize the occupation, including settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory.
In a related statement, the OIC expressed on Wednesday its rejection and strong condemnation of the vote, describing it as a dangerous escalation aimed at consolidating the illegal colonial occupation and undermining the two-state solution.
The statement also reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT).
"This unilateral move has no legal effect and cannot alter the OPT's legal status, particularly East Jerusalem, which remains an integral part of the territory," it stressed.
On Wednesday, the Arab and Islamic states emphasized that such Israeli actions fuel growing regional tension, exacerbated by Israel's aggression on Gaza and the resulting humanitarian catastrophe.
The statement comes as Israel ratchets up intensified military operations across the occupied West Bank, killing hundreds and demolishing hundreds of homes, in addition to building more settlements in the occupied territories.
It also comes as the 2.3 million population of Gaza have been facing starvation, with tens succumbing to death from hunger, as the Israeli blockade on the entry of all food, water, and medicine nears its fifth month.
In recent days, images of emaciated people in Gaza, many dead and others dying, including children, have sent shivers down the spines of millions around the world.
On Monday, 25 Western countries, along with the EU's crisis commissioner, issued a joint statement calling for an immediate end to Israel's war on Gaza and the immediate and unfettered entry of humanitarian aid to the strip.
This statement, which Egypt welcomed, condemned Israel's blockade on the entry of aid to the strip and rejected any forced displacement or settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.
On Wednesday, more than 100 international aid organizations affirmed that mass starvation is spreading in the strip and called for the immediate end of the Israeli blockade on Gaza.
The Arab and Islamic joint statement further called on the international community, including the UNSC and all relevant actors, to shoulder their legal and moral responsibilities and take action that halts Israel's illegal policies aimed at imposing a fait accompli by force.
"Such policies undermine the prospects for a just and lasting peace and the two-state solution," it affirmed.
The Arab and Islamic nations also asserted their commitment to the two-state solution based on international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative and to an independent sovereign Palestinian state based on the 4 June 1967 borders.
In 2024, the Knesset passed a similar agenda motion opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state, with a vote of 68-9.
Follow us on:
Short link:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Germany to organise Gaza aid airlift - War on Gaza
Germany will work with Jordan to airlift humanitarian aid to Gaza, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday after Israel promised to open secure routes amid international concern over hunger in the besieged territory. "Defence Minister Boris Pistorius will coordinate this very closely with France and the United Kingdom, which are also prepared to conduct such an airlift for food and medical supplies," he told a news conference in Berlin. "We know that this can only be a very small help for the people in Gaza, but nevertheless it is a contribution that we will gladly make," said Merz, who is scheduled to receive Jordan's King Abdullah II in Berlin on Tuesday. Merz, one of Israel's staunchest supporters, urged Israel to "immediately improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza in a comprehensive and sustainable manner". British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said he had shared "the plans he is working on with European leaders to bring about a lasting peace" in the Middle East with US President Donald Trump on the latter's visit to Scotland. The premier's spokesman said the plan would build "on the collaboration to date that paves the way to a long-term solution on security in the region". He said Starmer would hold a cabinet meeting this week to discuss the current crisis. Merz also announced that his Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will travel to the Middle East on Thursday to try to advance ceasefire negotiations. Concern has escalated in the past week about hunger in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory after more than 21 months of war, with aid groups warning that "mass starvation" was spreading. Israel bowed to international pressure at the weekend and announced a daily "tactical pause" in its deadly attacks in some areas. After Israel promised to open secure aid routes, little truckloads of food reached hungry Gazans on Monday but humanitarian agencies warned vast amounts more were needed to stave off starvation. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Detained Gaza aid boat activists launch hunger strike: NGO - War on Gaza
More than a dozen activists being held by Israel after their aid boat was intercepted en route to Gaza launched a hunger strike on Monday to protest their detention by Israeli occupation forces, according to a local NGO assisting them. At least five of the 21 passengers of the Freedom Flotilla vessel Handala have agreed to be summarily deported after the boat was stopped and boarded by the Israeli navy while attempting to break a blockade of the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. The legal aid group Adalah said that on Monday afternoon, "hearings concluded at Givon Prison, concerning the continued detention of the 14 volunteers who... refused to consent to an expedited deportation process". "During the hearings, the volunteers stressed that their mission was humanitarian -- motivated by the need to act against Israel's illegal siege and the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza," the group said in a statement. One US activist reported "severe physical violence by Israeli forces", while others described being held in poor conditions, Adalah said. "The activists told the tribunal that they remain on an open hunger strike in protest of their unlawful detention," it added. It later said the tribunal had "upheld the continued detention of the 14 volunteers". Israel has been treating their cases as immigration violations, which Adalah maintains is illegal, saying they were brought into the country against their will from international waters. The Handala's 21 passengers hailed from 10 countries, and included two French lawmakers and a pair of Al Jazeera journalists. Adalah said at least one of the lawmakers, the two journalists and two other passengers were already on their way out of the country. Two passengers who were Israeli-American dual nationals were released after being interrogated, according to the organisation. A previous boat sent by Freedom Flotilla, the Madleen, was also intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters on June 9. It carried 12 campaigners, including prominent Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The activists were eventually expelled by Israel. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
'No alternative' to two-state solution for Israel, Palestine - War on Gaza
There is "no alternative" to a two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians, France told a UN conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia Monday that was boycotted by Israel and branded a stunt by Washington. "Only a political, two-state solution will help respond to the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. There is no alternative," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said at the start of the three-day meeting. Days before the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron announced he would formally recognize Palestinian statehood in September, provoking strong opposition from Israel and the United States. Barrot said that other Western countries will confirm their intention to recognize the state of Palestine during the conference, without confirming which. "All states have a responsibility to act now," said Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Moustafa at the start of the meeting, calling for an international force to help underwrite Palestinian statehood. "Recognize the state of Palestine without delay." France is hoping Britain will follow its lead. More than 200 British members of parliament on Friday voiced support for the idea, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that recognition of a Palestinian state "must be part of a wider plan." United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the meeting "the two-state solution is farther than ever before." According to an AFP database, at least 142 of the 193 UN member states now recognize the Palestinian state proclaimed by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988. In 1947, a UN General Assembly resolution decided to partition Palestine, then under a British mandate, into Jewish and Arab states. Israel was proclaimed in 1948. For decades, most UN members have supported a two-state solution with Israeli and a Palestinian state existing side-by-side. But after more than 21 months of genocidal war in Gaza, the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and Israeli officials declaring designs to annex occupied territory, it is feared a Palestinian state could become geographically impossible. Barrot said it would be an "illusion to think that you can get to a lasting ceasefire without having an outline of what's going to happen in Gaza after the end of the war and having a political horizon." 'Israeli unilateral actions' Beyond facilitating conditions for recognizing Palestine, the meeting will focus on three other issues: reform of the Palestinian Authority, and normalization of relations with Israel by Arab states. However, no new normalization deals are expected to be announced at the meeting, according to a French diplomatic source. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said US President Donald Trump could be a "catalyst" to ending the war in Gaza and jump-starting the two-state solution, stressing Riyadh had no plans to normalize relations with Israel. Following his plea to Trump, the US State Department labeled the three-day event "unproductive and ill-timed," as well as a "publicity stunt" that would make finding peace harder. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said action was needed to counter Israeli "settlements, land confiscation (and) encroachments on the holy sites." Israel and the United States were not taking part in the meeting, amid growing international pressure on Israel to end nearly two years of war in Gaza. Despite "tactical pauses" announced by Israel, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza will dominate speeches. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
