The Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held fully responsible the Israeli government for the consequences of its colonial policies in the occupied territory of the State of Palestine, including the Israeli Prime Minister’s dangerous pledge deliberately seeking to undermine international efforts for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace to realize the two-state vision, and aiming at blowing up the foundations of peace and pushing the entire region towards more violence and instability.

This came during the 16^th extraordinary meeting of the OIC council of foreign ministers held at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, at the request of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the “Israeli Prime Minister’s stated intention to annex territories in the Occupied West Bank.”

The council proclaimed absolute rejection and vehemently condemned the Israeli Prime Minister’s stated intention to “apply Israeli sovereignty on all of the Jordan Valley, northern Dead Sea and settlements in the occupied West Bank”, describing it as a dangerous escalation, a further serious encroachment on the historical and legal rights of the Palestinian people, a flagrant breach of the UN Charter, the principles of international law and the relevant UN resolutions, including resolutions 181 (1947), 242 (1967), 252 (1968), 338 (1973), 425 (1978), 465 (1980), 476 (1980), 478 (1980), 681 (1990), 1073 (1996), 1397 (2002), 1435 (2002), and 1515 (2003), along with Security Council resolution 2334 of 2016.

The council decided to respond strongly to “this gravely aggressive statement, while taking all possible measures, both political and legal, such as initiating action with the UN Security Council and General Assembly, international courts and other relevant international organizations and bodies to counter this expansionist colonial policy,” said a statement issued by the council.

It Reaffirmed the centrality of the Cause of Palestine, renewing principled support to the Palestinian people and their legitimate leadership in their quest to obtain their inalienable national rights, including the right to self determination, the right to establish their sovereign independent state along the lines of 4 June 1967 and with Jerusalem (Al-Quds Al-Sharif)  as its capital, and the right of refugees to return to their homes in accordance with resolution 194.

The council “supports and backs up the Palestinian moves and steps to hold accountable Israel, the occupying authority, for its crimes against the Palestinian people, while calling on the Member States to provide all the political, legal, technical and material support necessary for the success of the State of Palestine’s moves with the relevant international bodies,” said the statement.