Saudi Arabia Spearheads Condemnation of Israeli Knesset’s Motion to Annex West Bank
Saudi Arabia has led Arab and Islamic condemnation of Israeli Knesset’s call to impose sovereignty over the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley.
The Israeli move has sparked regional denunciation as a blatant violation of international law and UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
Israeli Vote
On Wednesday, Knesset lawmakers voted in favor of a non-binding motion that demands the Israeli government to apply sovereignty over territories that make up the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley.
The motion, which got 71 votes against 13, described the territories of the occupied West Bank as “an inseparable part of the historical homeland of the Jewish people,” according to the Times of Israel.
“This move would make it clear to the world that Israel will not accept solutions that involve dangerous territorial concessions,” the motion said.
The motion is part of the agenda that calls for the annexation of the West Bank. However, it is symbolic and will not impact the legal status of the West Bank.
Saudi Condemnation
Following the declaration, Saudi Arabia on Thursday strongly denounced the motion, which represents a flagrant violation of international laws and UNSC resolutions.
In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said that such Israeli provocative acts undermine efforts to establish peace through a two-state solution and emphasize Israel’s insistence on sabotage and destruction.
Furthermore, the Kingdom stressed its categorical rejection of Israeli violations against the Palestinian people and their rights, particularly their right to self-determination.
In the light of this, Saudi Arabia called on the international community to take decisive actions to implement UN resolutions that support the Palestinian people’s right to live with dignity in an independent state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Unified Position against Israeli Policies
Later on Thursday, Arab and Islamic nations joined Saudi Arabia in denouncing the Israeli motion. Saudi Arabia, alongside Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Nigeria, Palestine, Qatar, Türkiye, the UAE, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issued a joint statement condemning the Israeli declaration.
They called the motion a “blatant and unacceptable violation of international law, and a flagrant breach of relevant UNSC resolutions, foremost among them Resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), and 2334 (2016), all of which affirm the invalidity of all measures and decisions that seek to legitimize the occupation, including settlement activities in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.”
Rejecting Israeli Annexation
The signatories reiterated that “Israel has no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” They also stressed that “this unilateral Israeli move has no legal effect and cannot alter the legal status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly East Jerusalem, which remains an integral part of the Territory.”
Moreover, the countries reaffirmed that “such Israeli actions only fuel the growing tension in the region, which has been exacerbated by the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the resulting humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip.”
International Call
The signatories called on the international community, including the UNSC and all relevant stakeholders, to uphold their legal and moral responsibilities and take decisive actions against Israel‘s illegal policies designed to “impose a fait accompli by force, undermining the prospects for a just and lasting peace, and the two-state solution.”
The countries also reiterated their commitment to the two-state solution based on international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, and to the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian State along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Two-state Solution Conference
Saudi Arabia has long advocated Palestinian Statehood as a viable pathway to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
In the light of this, Saudi Arabia and France will co-chair the International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution on July 28-29, 2025, at the UN headquarters in New York.
The conference aims to chart a roadmap for a Palestinian State while guaranteeing Israel’s security, in a bid to resolve the decades-old conflict.
Palestinian Statehood
During the conference, more countries are expected to officially recognize the State of Palestine, most notably France and the UK. In a recent visit to the UK, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, emphasized support for the two-state solution.
“I believe in the future of the two-state solution as a basis for regional security architecture, which will enable Israel to live in peace and security alongside its neighbors,” Macron told the British parliament.
Similarly, the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to a “just political settlement of the Palestinian issue.”
Both Macron and Starmer reiterated their commitment to recognizing Palestine. “We reaffirm our commitment to recognizing a Palestinian state, as a contribution to a peace process. We will work together to support its development and the realization of a Two-State Solution,” they said in a joint statement.
