JAKARTA - Indonesia along with a number of countries strongly condemned the restrictions imposed by Israel on the freedom of worship of Muslims and Christians, stressing that it was illegal and violated international law to humanitarian law.
In a post on the X social media account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Indonesian, Egyptian, Jordanian, Pakistani, Qatari, Saudi Arabian, Turkish and Qatari Foreign Ministers strongly condemned and rejected Israel's continued restrictions on freedom of worship for Muslims and Christians in occupied Jerusalem, including preventing Muslim worshippers from accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, and preventing the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Custodian of the Holy Land from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass. "
The foreign ministers renewed their condemnation and rejection of any Israeli attempt to change the legal and historical status quo at Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
"Israel's continued actions are a flagrant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, as well as the legal and historical status quo, and are a violation of the right to unrestricted access to places of worship," the post read, as quoted (31/3).
Furthermore, the ministers reiterated their absolute rejection of Israel's illegal and restrictive actions against Muslims and Christians in Jerusalem, including preventing Christians from freely accessing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to carry out their religious rituals.
The Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Qatar condemned, in the strongest terms, and reject the continued restrictions imposed by Israel on the freedom of worship for Muslims and Christians in occupied Jerusalem,…
— MoFA Indonesia (@Kemlu_RI) March 31, 2026
"They stressed the need to respect the legal and historical status quo in Jerusalem and the Muslim and Christian holy places there, reaffirmed that Israel, as an occupying power, does not have sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem, and underlined the need to stop all actions that hinder the access of worshipers to their places of worship in Jerusalem," the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted.
The ministers renewed their condemnation of Israel's continued closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa/Al-Haram Al-Sharif Mosque to worshippers for 30 consecutive days, including during the Holy Month of Ramadan, and restrictions on freedom of worship, which are serious violations of international law, the legal and historical status quo, and Israel's obligations as an occupying power.
The foreign ministers warned of the danger of this escalation action to regional and international peace and security.
They also reiterated, "the entire area of the Al-Aqsa/Al-Haram Al-Sharif Mosque, covering 144 dunams, is a special place of worship for Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Waqf Department and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs, affiliated with the Ministry of Waqf and Islamic Affairs Jordan, are legal entities with exclusive jurisdiction to manage the affairs of the Al-Aqsa/Al-Haram Al-Sharif Mosque and regulate access to it."
They also called on Israel as the occupying power to immediately stop closing the gates of the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, lift restrictions on access in the Old City of Jerusalem, and refrain from obstructing Muslim worshippers' access to the mosque.
The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, together with other foreign ministers, called on the international community to take a firm stance that forces Israel to stop the ongoing violations and illegal practices against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, as well as violations of the sanctity of these holy sites.
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