[26/09/2026 12:13]

NEW YORK-SABA

Yemen called for urgent international political and diplomatic action to protect Jerusalem and its holy sites, end violations against the Palestinian people, and compel Israel to comply with relevant international resolutions.

Foreign Minister Dr. Afrah al-Zouba made the call at a joint ministerial meeting of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Jerusalem, held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

Al-Zouba said Jerusalem is not merely a political issue but one tied to the Palestinian people’s historical and legal rights and the city’s significance to the Arab and Muslim worlds. She reaffirmed that East Jerusalem is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory and the capital of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, in line with international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

She said raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque, settlement expansion, home demolitions and forced displacement are interconnected practices that threaten the city’s identity and future and undermine prospects for a just and lasting peace. Any unilateral measures aimed at changing the existing historical and legal status of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque are null and void under international law, she stressed.

Al-Zouba welcomed the outcome of the Arab-Islamic ministerial meeting in Amman last August, including its call for joint international action, reaffirmation of East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, and rejection of measures targeting the city’s identity and legal status.

“Talk about Jerusalem has gone on for too long while realities on the ground continue to change,” she said, stressing that responsibility must now go beyond renewing positions to more effective political and diplomatic action and a clear international stance against annexation, settlement expansion, displacement and attempts to alter the city’s identity.

She reaffirmed Yemen’s support for joint Arab League and OIC efforts to protect Jerusalem, its holy sites and the rights of its residents, as well as the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights, and rejected any attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians or alter the city’s identity and legal status.

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