Tok Mat: Malaysia backs mechanism to document and expose Israeli violations at Jerusalem holy sites

NEW YORK, Sept 26 — Malaysia fully supports the establishment of a sustainable, institutional and operational mechanism, including a dedicated media platform, to document and expose Israel’s violations against the Holy Sites and worshippers in Jerusalem, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said.

He said Israel must be held accountable for its crimes and that its gross violations must not be ignored or normalised through repetition.

Mohamad said this in his intervention at the Joint Ministerial Meeting between the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Jerusalem at the United Nations headquarters here yesterday.

He said Malaysia continued to hold the view that Jerusalem must remain at the very heart of the Ummah’s collective struggle and action.

As reaffirmed in the Amman Ministerial Statement of Aug 5, he said East Jerusalem was an integral part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and the capital of the State of Palestine, consistent with the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) Advisory Opinion of July 19, 2024.

“Importantly, the same Advisory Opinion reaffirms the illegality of Israel’s occupation of the OPT including East Jerusalem,” he said.

Mohamad stressed that Israel had no sovereignty over East Jerusalem.

“Any attempt to alter its Arab, Islamic and Christian identity or its legal and demographic character was unlawful and must be unequivocally rejected,” he stressed further.

Malaysia strongly condemned the escalating violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, including repeated incursions by extremist settlers and Israeli officials, restrictions on worshippers and persistent attempts to alter the historic and legal status quo.

“These provocations risk igniting a wider religious conflict with grave consequences for regional and international peace and security,” he said.

Malaysia, Mohamad said, reaffirmed its unwavering support for the historical Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian Holy Sites in Jerusalem, as well as all efforts to protect the rights, resilience and presence of the Palestinian people in their city.

The foreign minister said the Holy City of Jerusalem (Al-Quds Al-Sharif) could not be truly protected through mere statements of concern or expressions of condemnation, but required “sustained coordination, collective resolve and decisive action.”

Mohamad said the time has come for “our collective voice to be matched by collective action.”

“We must therefore use all necessary means to fight and end the crimes committed by Israel on Palestinians. While we continue to demand decisive actions by the UN Security Council, we can and must also take our own actions, individually and as a group.

“We commend those that have suspended bilateral, trade and social relations with Israel, and welcome sanctions imposed on certain extremist Israeli Ministers, which should be extended to other Israeli leaders who incite hatred, dehumanise Palestinians and provoke violence.”

Malaysia, Mohamad said, reiterates “our call on all Member States to halt the provision of arms and financial support to Israel, so as not to become complicit in its illegal war and occupation.”

“Once again, Malaysia reiterates its unwavering commitment to defending the Holy City of Jerusalem (Al-Quds Al-Sharif) and the Palestinian cause.

“We reaffirm our solidarity with the Palestinian people and our steadfast support for their right to self-determination and the realisation of an independent State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Mohamad is in New York from September 23 to 27 to lead Malaysia’s delegation to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). — Bernama