Foreign ministers from Arab nations and several Muslim-majority countries convened in Jordan to adopt a coordinated response to conditions affecting religious sites in occupied East Jerusalem. The group, which included the Arab League Secretary-General and representatives from Turkiye, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia, formalized a plan to create a permanent institutional framework for monitoring and reporting on alleged violations.
The mechanism will include a media platform designed to disseminate documentation of incidents to international organizations and global audiences. According to the joint declaration, the initiative aims to draw worldwide attention to what participants characterized as escalating threats to Islamic and Christian holy sites, along with restrictions affecting worshippers and religious officials in the region.
The statement detailed specific concerns regarding Al-Aqsa Mosque, asserting that Israeli policies threaten its Islamic identity and historical legal status through various actions including settlement building, land annexation, and property confiscation. Ministers also raised complaints about excavations near the site and access restrictions for worshippers. Parallel concerns were raised regarding Christian holy sites, with the declaration citing alleged restrictions on access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and interference in church operations.
Participants called for enhanced international intervention to address what they characterized as illegal Israeli measures in East Jerusalem. The group announced plans to convene a joint ministerial meeting involving both the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States during the United Nations General Assembly’s leaders week in September to continue discussions on developments affecting Jerusalem’s religious sites.
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