Riyadh, March 31(SANA) Foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Turkey issued a joint statement Monday criticizing Israeli measures affecting access to religious sites, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The statement said the ministers rejected the continued restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities on access to places of worship.
They said the measures represent a “flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law” and warned they could have broader implications for regional and international peace and security.
The ministers also condemned what they described as attempts to alter the historical and legal status quo at Islamic and Christian holy sites. They cited restrictions affecting both Muslim and Christian worshippers, including preventing senior Christian clergy from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to conduct Palm Sunday services, as well as limiting Muslim access to Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In the statement, the ministers called for an immediate halt to restrictions on access to Al-Aqsa Mosque and urged authorities to remove barriers affecting entry to Jerusalem’s Old City.
They stressed that such measures constitute an infringement on the right to access places of worship and called for respect of the established legal and historical status of holy sites.
The ministers reiterated that Israel, as an occupying power, has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem, and urged the international community to take a firm stance to end what they described as ongoing violations.
Separately, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) recently called for practical steps to ensure access to places of worship and to preserve the legal and historical status of holy sites.
