Saudi Arabia and seven other countries condemn Israel's decision regarding West Bank lands
The foreign ministers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the State of Qatar, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Republic of Turkey issued a joint statement in which they expressed their strong condemnation of the decision issued by Israel to classify lands in the occupied West Bank as so-called “state lands.”
This firm stance comes in response to Israeli steps aimed at initiating procedures for registering and settling land ownership on a large scale in the West Bank, in a precedent that is the first of its kind since the occupation of the Palestinian territories in 1967, which constitutes a dangerous change in the legal and historical status of the occupied territories.
A blatant violation of international law
The eight countries affirmed in their statement that these measures constitute a flagrant violation of international law and relevant international resolutions, including Security Council resolutions that affirm the illegality of settlement activity and land confiscation in the occupied Palestinian territories. They consider this Israeli move an attempt to legitimize the seizure of Palestinian land and prevent the establishment of a geographically contiguous and viable Palestinian state.
Legally, international humanitarian law, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention, prohibits an occupying power from making substantial or permanent changes to the occupied territory or transferring its population into it, which applies to the settlement policies and land confiscation practiced by Israel.
The implications of the decision on peace prospects
This Israeli decision carries serious repercussions at both the regional and international levels, as it directly undermines efforts to revive the peace process and the two-state solution. Observers believe that reclassifying the land as "state land" facilitates its allocation to Israeli settlements, effectively annexing large parts of the West Bank and closing the door to any future political negotiations.
The historical background of the conflict indicates that the issue of land and settlements has always been a major obstacle to achieving peace. Since 1967, settlement activity has expanded continuously, but the move to the stage of "regularizing ownership" and officially registering it in the name of the occupying state represents a qualitative escalation aimed at imposing new realities on the ground that will be difficult to change in the future.
A unified Islamic and Arab stance
The joint statement issued by key countries in the Islamic and Arab world (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Jordan, the UAE, and Qatar) reflects a broad consensus rejecting these practices. This diplomatic move puts pressure on the international community to assume its responsibilities in halting these violations, which threaten security and stability in the region.
The ministers called on the international community to take immediate action to stop these unilateral measures, stressing the need to protect the rights of the Palestinian people to their land and property, and to work hard to find a political horizon that ends the occupation and achieves a just and comprehensive peace.
