Amman, August 5 (Petra) – Minister of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs Ayman Safadi said Wednesday that the ministerial meeting held in Amman to support Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites reflected a unified position against the "illegal" Israeli policies in occupied Jerusalem and a shared commitment to confronting them.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy, Safadi said Jerusalem is occupied territory and Israel has no sovereignty over the city, rendering its decisions regarding Jerusalem illegitimate.

He warned that Jerusalem faces escalating threats through settlement expansion, land confiscation, restrictions on freedom of worship and measures targeting the historical and legal status quo of Al Aqsa Mosque.

He said the Israeli violations form part of a broader policy to entrench the occupation of the Palestinian territories and undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

Safadi said participants agreed to intensify joint diplomatic efforts by engaging with key international capitals, exposing Israeli policies and mobilising international support to halt violations in Jerusalem.

He said that the Arab-Israeli conflict is rooted in Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory, not religion, warning that continued violations of holy sites risk fueling a wider religious conflict with grave regional and international consequences.

He reiterated that Arab states remain committed to achieving a just and lasting peace through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Safadi said Jordan convened the meeting in its capacity as chair of the ministerial committee and in line with its historic Hashemite Custodianship of Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian holy sites.

He described the custodianship as a historic responsibility carried out under the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II, saying it has helped prevent Israel from imposing direct control over the holy sites.

He reaffirmed that sovereignty over Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinian people, while the Hashemite Custodianship safeguards its Islamic and Christian holy sites, stressing that protecting Jerusalem is a shared Palestinian, Jordanian, Arab, Islamic and international responsibility.

Safadi announced that Arab and Islamic countries will launch a joint diplomatic initiative on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September, including a joint meeting of the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to build on the outcomes of the Amman meeting.

He said participants agreed to establish a platform, including a media initiative, to document Israeli practices and raise international awareness of their impact on Jerusalem and its holy sites.

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy said the meeting reaffirmed rejection of Israeli practices and discussed practical proposals for coordinated action.

He described the gathering as timely and said participants received guidance from His Majesty King Abdullah II on conveying their message through international forums.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said there was broad Arab and Islamic consensus on the need to move beyond statements of condemnation to concrete action to preserve the Arab, Islamic and Christian identity of East Jerusalem and its holy sites.

He said discussions addressed Israeli violations in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, calling for more effort to realise a ceasefire, humanitarian relief and reconstruction.

Abdelatty said participating countries support the U.S.-backed peace initiative and called for international efforts to ensure its implementation, including ending hostilities, securing Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, facilitating humanitarian aid and reconstruction and upholding the principles of no annexation and no displacement.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin described Jerusalem as the central issue and the greatest challenge to regional peace and stability.

She called for translating international support into practical measures that strengthen the resilience of Palestinians in Jerusalem, expose Israeli violations internationally and expand political and diplomatic efforts to protect the city and its holy sites.

//Petra// AK

05/08/2026 18:36:37