Israeli occupation authorities have intensified their efforts to seize collective resources and dispossess Palestinians in Jerusalem, facilitating incursions by settlers and extremist ministers into al-Aqsa Mosque/al-Haram al-Sharif under the direct protection of Israeli police. Eight foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim-majority countries issued a joint statement on Thursday, condemning these actions as repeated violations of the legal status quo in Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian holy sites.
The ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt denounced the raising of the Israeli flag within the courtyards of al-Aqsa Mosque/al-Haram al-Sharif. They characterized these actions as provocative and a flagrant violation of international law, further stating they constituted an unacceptable provocation to Muslims globally and a flagrant violation of the sanctity of the holy city.
The State's Role in Dispossession
The joint statement explicitly highlighted the continued incursions by Israeli settlers and extremist ministers into al-Aqsa Mosque/al-Haram al-Sharif, noting these actions occurred under Israeli police protection. This state-sanctioned presence directly enables the expansion of control over historically Palestinian spaces.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, accompanied by Rabbi Elisha Wolfson, visited the Temple Mount 12 days ago, on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Following this visit, Minister Ben-Gvir publicly called for the expansion of Jewish worship at the site, signaling further state endorsement of the settler-colonial project.
Accelerating Land Seizure
The foreign ministers also denounced accelerating illegal settlement activity, which serves as a primary mechanism for the privatization of collective resources and the displacement of indigenous populations. This includes Israel's decision to approve over 30 new settlements, directly expanding the footprint of the occupation and seizing more Palestinian land.
Alongside this land appropriation, the statement condemned the continued and escalating settler violence against Palestinians. This violence functions as a tool of coercion and displacement, forcing Palestinians from their homes and lands to facilitate further settlement expansion.
The ministers stressed the importance of preserving the status quo and recognizing the special role of the historic Hashemite custodianship in this regard. This emphasis on existing frameworks highlights the diplomatic efforts to manage the contradictions of the occupation without challenging its fundamental structures.
Earlier this week, most of these ministers were also signatories in a joint statement, alongside other countries, reproaching Israel's announcement that it is set to send a diplomatic envoy to Somaliland. This broader diplomatic push reflects regional concerns over the projection of military and economic power to secure resources and compliant governments for transnational corporations.
Diplomatic Gestures vs. Material Reality
The condemnation by the eight Arab and Muslim-majority countries, while strong in its rhetoric against violations of international law, operates within the existing state-to-state diplomatic framework. These statements address the symptoms of the occupation and settler-colonial expansion, rather than the underlying structural mechanics of power and capital that drive the dispossession of Palestinians and the ongoing land seizure in Jerusalem.