Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli approval of settlement construction around Jerusalem

Saudi Arabia on Friday strongly condemned Israeli authorities’ approval to build settlements around Jerusalem, according to a statement from the Saudi foreign ministry.

The statement also denounced comments by Israel’s foreign minister rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state, calling them a violation of international law and of the Palestinian people’s “inalienable” right to self-determination and statehood.

It cited relevant UN Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2234 (2016), which calls on Israel to halt settlement activity in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and affirms the illegality of Israeli settlements on land occupied since 1967. The statement also referred to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which “affirmed the illegality of annexing occupied Palestinian territory and stressed the need to end the Israeli occupation.”

The foreign ministry said these decisions and statements highlight the Israeli government’s ongoing “illegal expansionist policies, its obstruction of peace efforts, and the serious threat posed to the possibility of a two-state solution.”

It stressed that this situation requires the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities, provide protection for the Palestinian people, and uphold their legitimate rights, including recognition of a Palestinian state.

This also means obliging Israel to stop its assault on Gaza, end its illegal actions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and “halt crimes against the Palestinian people – particularly those amounting to genocide – while holding perpetrators accountable.”

Riyadh also reaffirmed its “absolute rejection of Israeli policies based on settlement expansion, forced displacement, and denying Palestinians the exercise of their legitimate rights.”

It called on the international community, especially the permanent members of the UN Security Council, to take immediate action to compel the Israeli authorities to “end their crimes against the Palestinian people and the occupied Palestinian territories, and to comply with UN resolutions and international law.”