31 Arab and Islamic Countries Condemn Netanyahu's Statements Regarding "Greater Israel"

SadaNews - A joint statement issued by 31 Arab and Islamic countries strongly condemned the statements made by Israeli Prime Minister (the occupying power) Benjamin Netanyahu, as reported by Israeli media regarding what is referred to as "Greater Israel." This represents a grave contempt and a blatant and serious infringement of international law principles, the foundations of stable international relations, and poses a direct threat to Arab national security and the sovereignty of states, as well as regional and international peace and security.

The statement was issued by 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 Republic of Lebanon, 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 Arab League, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

They emphasized that while the Arab and Islamic countries affirm their respect for international legitimacy and the United Nations Charter, especially Article 2, paragraph 4, concerning the rejection of the use of force or threats thereof, the Arab and Islamic countries will take all policies and measures that frame and establish peace in a manner that achieves the interests of all nations and peoples in security, stability, and development, away from illusions of control and the imposition of power.

They also strongly condemned the extremist Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich's approval of the settlement plan in the "E1" area, along with his extremist racist statements rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state, considering it a blatant violation of international law and a gross assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to realize their independent state with sovereignty based on the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. They emphasize that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian land.

They confirmed their absolute rejection and condemnation of this settlement plan and all illegal Israeli measures, which represent a flagrant breach of international law and Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334, which condemns all Israeli settlement activities aimed at changing the demographic composition and the legal status of the occupied Palestinian land since 1967, including East Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine. They also reiterated the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which emphasized the illegality of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian land and the necessity for its immediate termination, the removal of its repercussions, and compensation for its damages.

They warned of the dangers of Israeli intentions and policies aimed at annexing Palestinian lands, as well as the continued expansionist settlement approach of the extremist Israeli government in the occupied West Bank, including attempts to infringe upon Islamic and Christian holy sites, foremost among them Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Qudsi Al-Sharif, and the terrorism of settlers, daily incursions into Palestinian cities, villages, and camps, and the systematic destruction of Palestinian refugee camps and the displacement of Palestinians from their homes, which directly contributes to fueling cycles of violence and conflict, undermining the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region. They warn against relying on ideological and racist illusions, which threaten to escalate the conflict, making it difficult to control its trajectories or predict its outcomes, thus threatening both regional and international security and stability.

In this context, the foreign ministers of the Arab and Islamic countries, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation reiterated their rejection and condemnation of the crimes of Israeli aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing, and emphasized the need to halt the fire in the Gaza Strip, ensuring unconditional access to humanitarian assistance to stop the systematic starvation policy used by Israel as a weapon of genocide, which requires an immediate end to the deadly Israeli siege on the territory, opening the Israeli crossings with the Gaza Strip, and holding Israel, the occupying power, fully responsible for the repercussions of its crimes in Gaza, including the collapse of the health and relief systems, as being the occupying power. They reaffirm the complete and absolute rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people in any form or under any pretext, calling on the international community to pressure Israel to stop its aggression and to completely withdraw from the Gaza Strip, in preparation for creating the appropriate conditions for implementing the Arab-Islamic plan for early recovery efforts and reconstruction of the enclave, confirming that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian land, and that the State of Palestine must take responsibilities for governance in the Gaza Strip as well as in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with Arab and international support, within the political program of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and a policy of one system, one law, and one legitimate weapon.

In this context, they called upon the international community, especially the permanent members of the Security Council, particularly the United States of America, to assume their legal and moral responsibilities, to take immediate action to compel Israel to stop its continuous aggression on the Gaza Strip and its dangerous escalation in the occupied West Bank, to stop the illusory incitements made by its officials, and to provide international protection for the Palestinian people and empower them to attain their legitimate rights, foremost among which is their right to establish their independent sovereign state on their national soil, and to hold accountable the perpetrators of crimes and violations against the Palestinian people.