The foreign ministers of 31 Arab and Islamic nations, along with the secretaries-general of the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have issued a joint statement strongly condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks on the so-called “Greater Israel Vision,” as reported by Hebrew media.
In their statement, the ministers described Netanyahu’s comments as a gross disregard for international law and a “blatant and dangerous violation” of the foundations of international relations. They warned that such rhetoric posed a direct threat to Arab national security, state sovereignty, and both regional and international peace.
The joint condemnation was endorsed by Qatar, Jordan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
The ministers also denounced the approval by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of a controversial settlement plan in the E1 area, along with his statements rejecting the creation of a Palestinian state. They described these actions as a flagrant violation of international law and an assault on the inalienable right of Palestinians to establish an independent, sovereign state within the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
They reiterated that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories and condemned all settlement activity as illegal under international law, citing United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which declared Israel’s occupation unlawful and called for its immediate end.
The statement further warned against Israel’s policies of annexing Palestinian lands, expanding settlements in the West Bank, and what it described as attempts to damage Islamic and Christian holy sites, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The ministers cited settler violence, military raids on Palestinian communities, and the forced displacement of Palestinians as actions that fuel cycles of violence and undermine prospects for peace.
In addition, the Arab and Islamic countries condemned what they termed Israel’s “crimes of aggression, genocide and ethnic cleansing” in Gaza. They called for an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access, and an end to Israel’s blockade of the Strip. The joint statement stressed that Israel, as the occupying power, bore full responsibility for the collapse of Gaza’s health and relief systems.
The ministers reaffirmed their absolute rejection of any attempt to displace Palestinians and urged the international community to pressure Israel to halt its military campaign, withdraw from Gaza, and create conditions for reconstruction under the Arab-Islamic recovery plan. They emphasized that Gaza is an inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian territory and called for the Palestinian Authority to assume governance there, as well as in the West Bank, within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s political program.
Concluding their statement, the ministers urged the permanent members of the UN Security Council, particularly the United States, to fulfil their legal and moral responsibilities by compelling Israel to end its aggression, stop inflammatory rhetoric, and ensure international protection for Palestinians. They stressed the need to hold Israeli officials accountable for violations while reaffirming Palestinians’ right to establish an independent, sovereign state.
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