Arab, Muslim ministers agree on mechanism to document Israeli violations in Jerusalem

Arab and Muslim foreign ministers agreed Wednesday to establish a permanent mechanism to document and expose Israeli violations in Jerusalem and at its Islamic and Christian holy sites, according to a joint declaration adopted after a ministerial meeting in Jordan.

The declaration, issued after the meeting in the Jordanian capital Amman, said the mechanism would include a media platform to document Israeli violations against holy sites and worshippers and bring them to the attention of international organizations and the global public.

The participants, including members of the Arab Ministerial Committee on Jerusalem and representatives of Türkiye, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia, also called for immediate international action to halt Israeli measures in Jerusalem and at its holy sites.

The declaration condemned Israeli policies and measures aimed at altering Jerusalem’s Arab, Islamic and Christian identity, as well as its legal and demographic status, describing them as null and void and a violation of international law.

It reaffirmed that East Jerusalem is part of the occupied Palestinian territory and that Israel has no sovereignty over it.

The declaration reiterated that East Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Palestine and said establishing a Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967, borders, living alongside Israel under a two-state solution, remains the only path to a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.

The ministers also condemned Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, including attempts to alter its historical and legal status quo and impose temporal and spatial divisions.

They also denounced increased incursions by extremist settlers and Israeli officials, restrictions on worshippers, interference in the work of the Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, and continued excavations beneath and around the site.

The declaration reaffirmed that the entire 144-dunam (35.6-acre) Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif compound is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims.

It said the Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites, is the sole legal authority with exclusive jurisdiction to administer the compound.

The participants also condemned Israeli violations targeting Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, including restrictions on access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, interference in church affairs, restrictions targeting church institutions and properties, and attacks on clergy, worshippers and religious symbols.

The ministers reaffirmed their support for Jordan’s Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and pledged to continue supporting the resilience of Palestinians in the city.

They warned that Israeli attacks against Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem could inflame the sentiments of around 2 billion Muslims worldwide and fuel a religious conflict with repercussions extending beyond the region, threatening regional and international peace and security.

The declaration also rejected unilateral decisions affecting Jerusalem‘s legal status, including the establishment or relocation of diplomatic missions to the city.

It called for a joint ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States during the UN General Assembly’s high-level week in New York in September to discuss developments in Jerusalem and at its holy sites.