Saudi Arabia, along with several Muslim-majority countries, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has strongly condemned the Israeli Knesset’s approval of two draft laws seeking to impose so-called “Israeli sovereignty” over the occupied West Bank and Israeli colonial settlements.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Türkiye, the Republic of Djibouti, the Sultanate of Oman, the Republic of The Gambia, the State of Palestine, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the State of Libya, Malaysia, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the League of Arab States, and the OIC denounced the Israeli legislative move as a “blatant violation of international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions.”
The statement recalled UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemns all Israeli measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and status of the occupied Palestinian territory since 1967, including East Jerusalem. It also referenced the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion, reaffirming the illegality of Israeli settlements and annexation efforts in occupied Palestinian lands.
The countries reiterated that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.
At the same time, the signatories welcomed the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion of 22 October 2025, which reaffirmed Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure that the population of the occupied Palestinian territories, including Gaza, has access to essential supplies and humanitarian aid. The Court also confirmed the prohibition of starvation and mass forcible transfer, reiterating that Israel’s territorial claim over East Jerusalem is “null and void.”
The joint statement further denounced Israel’s law seeking to terminate the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem, calling it a violation of international humanitarian principles and UN mandates.
The countries warned against Israel’s unilateral and illegal policies, urging the international community to shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities to compel Israel to halt its escalatory actions and uphold the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
They reaffirmed their support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, as the
