Foreign Ministry condemns US Ambassador's statement that Israel may occupy the West Bank
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia has conveyed strong condemnation of a statement by United States Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who declared that Israeli occupation of the West Bank constitutes an acceptable course of action.
The statement was issued jointly on Sunday by Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry together with the foreign ministries of Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, as well as the secretariats of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the League of Arab States (LAS), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
“We convey strong condemnation and deep concern over the statement by the United States Ambassador to Israel, which indicates that Israel’s actions to seize territories belonging to Arab nations, including the occupied West Bank, are acceptable,” the joint statement read.
The joint statement affirmed a firm rejection of what it described as dangerous and provocative remarks, constituting a clear violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and posing a serious threat to regional security and stability.
The Arab and Muslim nations emphasised that the US Ambassador’s statement supporting Israeli occupation in fact contradicts the vision set out by US President Donald Trump and the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.
“The plan is founded on strengthening tolerance and peaceful coexistence, and statements that seek to legitimise the seizure of others’ land undermine that objective, fuel tensions, and constitute incitement rather than a drive for peace,” the joint statement said.
Reiterating their firm rejection of any attempt to annex the West Bank or to separate it from the Gaza Strip, the Arab and Muslim nations strongly opposed the expansion of settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and categorically rejected any threat to the sovereignty of Arab states.
“Israel holds no sovereignty whatsoever over the Occupied Palestinian Territories or any other occupied Arab territories,” they stressed.
The ministries further warned that the continuation of expansionist policies and unlawful measures by Israel would only exacerbate violence and conflict in the region and damage the prospects for peace, calling for a halt to such inciting statements.
They also reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state based on the 4 June 1967 borders, as well as the ending of the occupation of all Arab territories.