Pakistan, seven Muslim states reject moves to change Jerusalem status quo

JERUSALEM: Pakistan and seven other Muslim-majority countries have issued a joint statement rejecting any attempt to change the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem and at its Islamic and Christian holy sites.

The statement, issued by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, condemned what it described as repeated violations of the historic and legal status quo at Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy places by Israeli occupation authorities.

The ministers specifically denounced continued incursions by Israeli settlers and extremist ministers into Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif under Israeli police protection, as well as the raising of the Israeli flag inside its courtyards.

“The ministers reiterated that these provocative actions at Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, constitute a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and represent an unacceptable provocation to Muslims around the world, and a flagrant violation to the sanctity of the holy city”, the statement read.

The ministers reaffirmed their categorical rejection of any efforts to alter the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites, and stressed the need to preserve it while recognising the special role of the historic Hashemite custodianship.

They also reiterated that the entire area of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Sharif, measuring 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims. The statement added that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, which is affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is the legal body with exclusive jurisdiction to administer the affairs of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif and regulate entry to it.

The foreign ministers further condemned what they called accelerating illegal settlement activity, including Israel’s decision to approve more than 30 new settlements, saying this was a flagrant violation of international law, including United Nations Security Council resolutions and the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.

They also condemned continuing and escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including recent attacks on Palestinian schools and children, and called for accountability for those responsible.

The statement said the ministers emphasised that Israel had no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory. They categorically rejected any attempts to annex occupied Palestinian land or displace the Palestinian people.

“The Ministers stressed that such actions constitute a deliberate and direct attack on the viability of the Palestinian state and on the implementation of the two-state solution, increase tensions, undermine peace efforts, and hinder ongoing initiatives aimed at de escalation and the restoration of stability”, statement added.

The ministers called on the international community to fulfil its legal and moral responsibilities and compel Israel to stop what the statement termed its dangerous escalation in the occupied West Bank and end its illegal practices.

They also urged clear and decisive international action to halt the violations and called for intensified regional and international efforts to advance a political solution leading to comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.

The statement further reiterated unwavering support for what it described as the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, particularly their right to self-determination and to establish an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The joint statement came two days after the latest storming of Al Aqsa Mosque by Israeli settlers. An Anadolu reporter said settlers entered the site through the Mughrabi Gate under heavy police protection. Videos circulating on social media showed occupiers performing Talmudic rituals and prayers aloud, including what is referred to as epic prostration, particularly in the eastern part of the compound. Photos shared online also showed two occupiers raising the Israeli flag inside the compound, with the Dome of the Rock visible behind them.

On April 6, far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also entered the Al Aqsa Mosque compound. Palestinian news agency Wafa quoted the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem as saying that he toured the mosque’s courtyards after entering through the Mughrabi Gate and proceeding to the Chain Gate before returning by the same route, amid a heavy deployment of occupation police. He had stormed the mosque approximately 14 times since assuming office in 2023. He again entered the mosque compound on April 13 under heavy police deployment.

In March, Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem to celebrate Palm Sunday mass. After widespread backlash, Israel later said the Latin Patriarch would regain access to Christianity’s holiest site.