Eight Muslim Nations Condemn Israel’s Expansion and ‘Illegal Control’ in Judea and Samaria

Image: Jihad Watch

Saudi Arabia, along with seven other Muslim-majority nations, strongly condemned on Monday (February 9) the latest measures announced by the Israeli government to expand its footprint and tighten control over the occupied West Bank. The new steps are widely viewed as a significant escalation in Israel’s settlement policy and an effort to further entrench its authority over Palestinian territories.

The controversial provisions were announced on Sunday by Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz. Among the measures is a policy allowing Jewish Israelis to purchase land in the West Bank, a move that critics argue directly facilitates the expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory. The announcement was made through a joint statement by the two ministers.

In a coordinated diplomatic response, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey issued a joint condemnation. According to a statement released by Saudi Arabia, the countries “condemned in the strongest terms the illegal Israeli decisions and measures aimed at imposing unlawful Israeli sovereignty” over the West Bank.

The statement further warned that these actions are intended to entrench settlement activity and impose a new legal and administrative framework in the occupied territory. The ministers said such steps would accelerate what they described as Israel’s illegal annexation of the West Bank, while also contributing to the displacement of the Palestinian population and undermining prospects for a negotiated two-state solution.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reacted sharply, describing the measures as a de facto annexation of the West Bank. He called on the United States president and the United Nations Security Council to intervene, urging the international community to take immediate steps to prevent further erosion of Palestinian territorial rights.

In addition to land purchases, the new provisions reportedly allow Israeli authorities to assume greater control over the management of certain religious sites. The measures also expand Israeli enforcement and administrative interference in areas currently governed by the Palestinian Authority, further weakening Palestinian self-rule.

Finance Minister Smotrich openly framed the policies as part of a broader ideological objective. He stated that the steps are intended to “deepen our roots in all regions of the Land of Israel and bury the idea of a Palestinian state,” a remark that has intensified international concerns over Israel’s long-term intentions in the occupied territories.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)