Arab, Muslim ministers agree on Jerusalem violations mechanism

Arab and Muslim foreign ministers agreed on Wednesday to establish a permanent mechanism documenting Israeli violations in Jerusalem and its holy sites, according to a joint declaration adopted following consultations in the Jordanian capital Amman. The participants — including members of the Arab Ministerial Committee on Jerusalem alongside representatives from Türkiye, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia — condemned Israeli policies aimed at altering the city's Islamic and Christian identity and called for immediate international action to halt such measures.

Documentation mechanism

The declaration said the mechanism would operate a dedicated media platform to systematically record violations against worshippers and bring them to the attention of international organizations and global public opinion. It described Israeli measures aimed at changing Jerusalem's legal and demographic status as null and void violations of international law, reaffirming that East Jerusalem remains occupied Palestinian territory where Israel possesses no sovereignty.

Al-Aqsa and Christian holy sites

The ministers denounced increased incursions by extremist settlers and Israeli officials at Al-Aqsa Mosque — known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif — including attempts to alter its historical status quo and impose temporal and spatial divisions. They condemned restrictions on Muslim worshippers, interference with the Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, and continued excavations beneath and around the site, affirming that the entire 144-dunam compound is exclusively a Muslim place of worship under the sole jurisdiction of the Jordanian-affiliated Awqaf administration. The declaration also condemned Israeli violations targeting Christian holy sites, including restrictions on access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and interference in church affairs.

Diplomatic position and UN follow-up

The declaration reaffirmed that East Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Palestine, stressing that establishing a Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders alongside Israel represents the only path to a just and comprehensive peace. The participants reaffirmed their support for Jordan's Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites and pledged to continue supporting Palestinian resilience in the city. They warned that Israeli attacks against Islamic holy sites risk inflaming the sentiments of approximately 2 billion Muslims worldwide, threatening international peace and security, and called for a joint Organization of Islamic Cooperation-Arab League meeting during the UN General Assembly's high-level week in September.