Photo courtesy of Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The meeting, hosted in Amman, brought together the Arab Ministerial Committee on Jerusalem, comprising Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Morocco, Iraq, Algeria, Tunisia, Somalia, and Palestine, alongside the secretary-general of the Arab League and representatives from Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Malaysia.
In a joint statement issued after the talks, the ministers accused Israel of pursuing policies aimed at altering the "Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity" of occupied Jerusalem and changing its legal and demographic character, which are null and void under international law.
They reaffirmed that East Jerusalem is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory and the future capital of an independent Palestinian state based on the 4 June 1967 borders, saying the two-state solution remains the only path to a just and lasting peace.
The ministers strongly condemned what they called repeated Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, including incursions by Israeli settlers, ministers and officials under the protection of Israeli forces, restrictions on Muslim worshippers, interference in the work of the Jerusalem Awqaf, and excavations beneath and around the compound.
They reiterated that the entire 144-dunum Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is an exclusively Muslim place of worship and said the Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with Jordan's Ministry of Awqaf, remains the sole legal authority responsible for administering the site and regulating access.
The statement also condemned Israeli measures affecting Christian holy sites, including restrictions on access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, interference in church affairs, and attacks against clergy, worshippers, and religious symbols.
The ministers reaffirmed their support for Jordan's Hashemite Custodianship over Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian holy sites, describing it as essential to preserving the city's historical and legal status quo.
They also pledged continued political and development support for Palestinians in Jerusalem to strengthen their presence in the city and backed the work of the Al-Quds Committee and its executive arm, the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency.
Warning that continued Israeli actions at the holy sites could inflame religious tensions affecting nearly two billion Muslims worldwide, the ministers said such policies risk triggering a broader religious conflict with serious consequences for regional and international peace and security.
The meeting called on the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), to act to halt Israeli measures in occupied Jerusalem, arguing that settlement expansion, annexation, attacks on Palestinian institutions, settler violence, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza are undermining the prospects for a two-state solution.
The ministers also rejected any unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital or the establishment or relocation of diplomatic missions to the city, saying such moves violate international law and relevant UN resolutions.
They agreed to launch a coordinated international diplomatic campaign to counter Israeli policies in Jerusalem, including establishing a permanent mechanism and media platform to document alleged violations at the city's holy sites.
The participants also called for a joint ministerial meeting of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September to coordinate efforts on developments in Jerusalem and its holy sites.
The ministers thanked Jordan for hosting the meeting and reaffirmed their commitment to continued coordination in support of Jerusalem and its holy sites.
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