\n<\/p>\n
In a joint statement, eight Arab countries condemned Israel’s actions at Jerusalem’s holy sites, calling them “provocations” and violations of international law.<\/p>\n
Eight Arab and Muslim-majority countries condemned what they called Israel’s “repeated violations” of the status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites in a joint statement on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The respective foreign ministers of Qatar<\/a>, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan<\/a>, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt expressed their condemnation of “repeated violations and legal status quo in Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites by Israeli occupation authorities.”<\/p>\n The eight ministers highlighted what they called “the continued incursions by Israeli settlers and extremist ministers into al-Aqsa Mosque\/al-Haram al-Sharif [Temple Mount<\/a>] under Israeli police protection, as well as the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyards.”<\/p>\n They also called these “provocative actions” a “flagrant violation of international law,” adding that they represent “an unacceptable provocation to Muslims around the world, and a flagrant violation of the sanctity of the holy city.”<\/p>\n The ministers stressed the importance of “preserving the status quo,” and “recognizing the special role of the historic Hashemite custodianship in this regard.”<\/p>\n Additionally, the statement denounced the “accelerating illegal settlement activity, including Israel’s decision to approve over 30 new settlements.”<\/p>\n It also “condemned the continued and escalating settler violence against Palestinians.”<\/p>\n Earlier this week, most of the ministers were also signatories in a joint statement, along with other countries, reproaching Israel’s announcement that it is set to send a diplomatic envoy to Somaliland<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n‘Unacceptable provocation to Muslims worldwide’<\/h3>\n