Widespread Arab-Islamic Condemnation of Israeli Restrictions on Freedom of Worship in Jerusalem

SadaNews - The foreign ministers of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Turkey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, and the Arab Republic of Egypt condemned the ongoing restrictions imposed by Israel on the freedom of worship for Muslims and Christians in occupied Jerusalem, affirming their rejection of these measures in the strongest terms. The ministers clarified in a joint statement that these restrictions include preventing Muslim worshippers from accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Qudsi Al-Sharif, in addition to preventing the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the custodian of the Holy Land from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to hold the Palm Sunday mass, an action they deemed a serious escalation and a violation of the freedom of worship. The statement emphasized that Israeli measures represent a blatant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, and a breach of the historical and legal status of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, as well as an infringement on the unrestricted right to access places of worship. The ministers expressed their absolute rejection of the "illegal and restrictive" Israeli measures, calling for the necessity to respect the existing historical and legal status in Jerusalem, reiterating that Israel, as the occupying power, has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem. They also expressed their condemnation of the continuous closure of the doors of Al-Aqsa Mosque to worshippers for 30 consecutive days, including during Ramadan, considering this a serious violation of international legal obligations, and warning of the implications of these measures on regional and international peace and security. The ministers reiterated that Al-Aqsa Mosque, in its total area of 144 dunams, is a pure place of worship for Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Awqaf Administration under the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Sacred Endowments is the sole legal entity authorized to manage its affairs and regulate access to it. The statement called on Israel to immediately cease the closure of the doors of Al-Aqsa Mosque, remove the restrictions imposed on access to the Old City of Jerusalem, and ensure the free access of worshippers to their places of worship. It also urged the international community to take a firm stance mandating Israel to stop its ongoing violations against Islamic and Christian sacred sites in Jerusalem.