The UAE and 7 countries condemn Israel’s imposition of restrictions on freedom of worship in Jerusalem

The Foreign Ministers of the United Arab Emirates, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Turkey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt condemned and rejected in the strongest terms the continuing restrictions imposed by Israel on the freedom of worship of Muslims and Christians in occupied Jerusalem, including preventing Muslim worshipers from accessing the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Haram al-Sharif, and preventing the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Custodian of the Lands. Holy Mosques from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass, and renewed their condemnation and rejection of any Israeli attempts to change the existing historical and legal situation in the Islamic and Christian holy places in Jerusalem.

These continued Israeli actions constitute a flagrant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, as well as a violation of the historical and legal status quo, and constitute an infringement on the unrestricted right of access to places of worship.

The ministers affirmed their absolute rejection of the illegal and restrictive Israeli measures against Muslims and Christians in Jerusalem, including preventing Christians from free access to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to perform their religious rituals.

They stressed the need to respect the existing historical and legal status in Jerusalem and the Islamic and Christian holy places therein, reaffirming that Israel, as the occupying power, has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem, and highlighting the need to stop all measures that hinder worshipers’ access to their places of worship in Jerusalem.

The Ministers renewed their condemnation of Israel’s continued closure of the doors of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif to worshipers for 30 consecutive days, including during the holy month of Ramadan, and imposing restrictions on freedom of worship, which constitutes a serious violation of international law, the existing historical and legal situation, and Israel’s obligations as the occupying power, and they warned of the dangers of these escalatory measures to regional and international peace and security.

The ministers reaffirmed that the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, with its entire area, amounting to 144 dunams, is a pure place of worship for Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places, is the legal body with exclusive jurisdiction to manage the affairs of the Holy Mosque and regulate entry to it.

The Ministers called on Israel, in its capacity as the occupying power, to immediately stop closing the doors of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, remove restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem, and refrain from obstructing Muslim worshipers’ access to the mosque.