AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Wednesday that a ministerial meeting held in Amman to support Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites underscored a unified Arab and Islamic stance against "illegal" Israeli policies in occupied Jerusalem and reaffirmed a collective commitment to confronting them through coordinated diplomatic action.

 

Speaking at a joint press conference alongside Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy, Safadi said Jerusalem is occupied territory and that Israel has no sovereignty over the city, making its decisions concerning Jerusalem illegitimate.

 

He warned that Jerusalem faces mounting threats through settlement expansion, land confiscation, restrictions on freedom of worship and measures targeting the historical and legal status quo at Al Aqsa Mosque.

 

Safadi said that these measures form part of a broader Israeli policy aimed at entrenching the occupation of the Palestinian territories and undermining prospects for a two-state solution.

 

Participants agreed to intensify joint diplomatic efforts by engaging with key international capitals, exposing Israeli policies and mobilising international support to halt violations in Jerusalem, he said.

 

Safadi stressed that the Arab-Israeli conflict stems from Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory rather than religious differences, warning that continued violations at holy sites could fuel a wider religious conflict with serious regional and international consequences.

 

He reiterated the Arab states' commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

 

Safadi said Jordan convened the meeting in its capacity as chair of the ministerial committee and in line with its historic Hashemite Custodianship of Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian holy sites.

 

He described the custodianship as a historic responsibility carried out under the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah, saying it has helped prevent Israel from imposing direct control over the holy sites.

 

Safadi reaffirmed that sovereignty over Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinian people, while the Hashemite Custodianship safeguards the city's Islamic and Christian holy sites. He stressed that protecting Jerusalem is a shared Palestinian, Jordanian, Arab, Islamic and international responsibility.

 

He also announced that Arab and Islamic countries will launch a joint diplomatic initiative on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September, including a joint meeting of the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to build on the outcomes of the Amman meeting.

 

Participants also agreed to establish a platform, including a media initiative, to document Israeli practices and raise international awareness of their impact on Jerusalem and its holy sites, Safadi said.

 

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy said the meeting reaffirmed participants' rejection of Israeli practices and examined practical proposals for coordinated action.

 

He described the gathering as timely and said participants received guidance from His Majesty King Abdullah II on conveying their message through international forums.

 

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said there was broad Arab and Islamic consensus on the need to move beyond statements of condemnation to concrete action to preserve the Arab, Islamic and Christian identity of East Jerusalem and its holy sites.

 

He said discussions also addressed Israeli violations in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, calling for intensified efforts to secure a ceasefire, expand humanitarian relief and advance reconstruction.

 

Abdelatty said participating countries support the U.S.-backed peace initiative and called for international efforts to ensure its implementation, including ending hostilities, securing Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, facilitating humanitarian aid and reconstruction, and upholding the principles of no annexation and no displacement.

 

Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin described Jerusalem as the central issue and the greatest challenge to regional peace and stability.

 

She called for translating international support into practical measures that strengthen the resilience of Palestinians in Jerusalem, expose Israeli violations internationally and expand political and diplomatic efforts to protect the city and its holy sites.