International Outcry as Israeli Knesset Votes to Annex Occupied West Bank
Türkiye, Muslim Nations Decry Israeli Annexation Vote as Violation of International Law
Türkiye and nine other Muslim-majority countries have condemned Israel’s recent parliamentary vote to annex the occupied West Bank, calling it a clear breach of international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions.
In a joint statement issued Thursday by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Türkiye, along with Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Nigeria, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Arab League, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, denounced the Israeli Knesset’s move as “blatant and unacceptable.”
The group cited UNSC Resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), and 2334 (2016), all of which reject Israeli sovereignty over occupied territories and declare Israeli settlement activities as having no legal validity.
The statement emphasized that Israel has no legitimate claim over any part of the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, which they reaffirmed as the future capital of an independent Palestinian state.
While the vote in the Knesset was symbolic, the signatories warned it further escalates tensions in the region, particularly amid ongoing violence in Gaza and worsening humanitarian conditions.
They called on the international community—especially the UN Security Council—to respond decisively, warning that Israeli policies threaten the prospects of a two-state solution and long-term peace.
The nations reaffirmed their commitment to a resolution based on international law and the Arab Peace Initiative, calling for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.
