The following is the list of international reactions to the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.
The European Union called on both sides to de-escalate tensions and reiterated "violence and incitement are unacceptable and the perpetrators on all sides must be held accountable".[1] | ||
The UN called on Israel to cancel any planned evictions and use "maximum restraint in the use of force" against protesters.[2] The United Nations Security Council met for a closed session on 10 May to discuss the issue.[3] There, they discussed issuing a statement, which was rejected due to concerns from the United States.[4] [5] | ||
An emergency online meeting was held on 11 May.[6] Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, condemned Israeli air strikes on Gaza as "indiscriminate and irresponsible".[7] | ||
On 11 May, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned Israel and reiterated support for Palestine.[8] | ||
International Criminal Court | On 12 May 2021, prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said she was concerned about the escalating violence and the possibility of war crimes being committed.[9] | |
On 12 May 2021, the Secretary General of the Turkic Council Baghdad Amreyev told that they condemn "using weapons and unproportioned use of force by Israeli security forces against innocent Palestinian civilians". Also calling on the Israeli administration to take "the necessary measures for a peaceful resolution of the situation and an immediate cessation of attacks on civilians and armed infiltration of Muslim holy sites".[10] |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning both the use of excessive force by Israeli security forces and Hamas for launching rockets against Israeli soil. It further expressed worry and urged both sides to de-escalate tensions.[11] | ||
On 11 May, Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its "deep concern" over the clashes, calling on "all the involved parties to show restraint to reduce the tension and prevent future deaths among civilians".[12] | ||
On 12 May, Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne expressed concern about the violence and called on both sides to restore calm.[13] Prime Minister Scott Morrison echoed these calls, while also criticising a protester for burning an Israeli flag in Lakemba, New South Wales.[14] | ||
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz reiterated Austria's support of Israel's right to self-defence. As a show of solidarity he ordered to hoist Israel's flag on the Chancellery next to the Austrian and European flag. Foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg ordered to do the same for his ministry.[15] | ||
On 8 May, the Times of Israel reported that Bahraini officials strongly condemned actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the potential evictions in Sheikh Jarrah, and called on Israel to "stop these rejected provocations against the people of Jerusalem, and work to prevent its forces from attacking worshipers in this holy month".[16] | ||
On 11 May, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sent a letter to President Mahmoud Abbas condemning the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli police, stating that their actions were of a "terrorist nature". She criticised the planned evictions of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood as a "severe violation of human rights" and re-affirmed Bangladesh's commitment to a two-state solution. She expressed solidarity with the "brotherly" Palestinian people.[17] [18] | ||
Botswana | On 18 May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation released a statement saying that "the Government of Botswana strongly condemns the escalation of the attacks and calls for a ceasefire", and called on the parties to "continue to seek a peaceful and durable solution to the conflict."[19] | |
On 9 May, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marc Garneau, called for "immediate de-escalation of tensions and for all sides to avoid any unilateral actions". He also expressed concern that "recent decisions on settlements, and demolitions and evictions, including in Sheikh Jarrah, would negatively impact livelihoods and undermine the prospects for a two-state solution".[20] | ||
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its "deep concern over escalating violence" and said (without referring to any side) that "Any action whose indiscriminate target is the civilian population is unjustifiable, seriously infringes against humanitarian law, and deserves the total repudiation of the international community", and called for a ceasefire.[21] | ||
On 12 May, China's special envoy on the Middle East, Zhai Jun, had expressed "deep concern" over clashes between Palestinians and Israel and "urged all parties to exercise restraint to avoid further casualties". It will also push for United Nations Security Council to take action on the situation in East Jerusalem.[22] On 12 May, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Hua Chunying has called on the UNSC to take actions to help ease the ongoing tensions between Palestine and Israel. It also condemns violence against civilians and calls on all parties to "take actions that are conducive to easing tensions" and "promote the restoration of peace and stability".[23] | ||
On May 14, President of Czech Republic and long-term support of Israel, Miloš Zeman, hang out flag of Israel in solidarity with State of Israel. Opposition coalition SPOLU called Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib, also to hang out flag of Israel.[24] | ||
On 9 May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Israel "must stop all measures that violate the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque" and asserted that potential evictions were a violation of international law.[25] On 11 May, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, told an emergency meeting of the Arab League that Egypt had reached out to Israel with an offer to mediate, but had not received the "necessary response".[26] | ||
On 10 May, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs called for "all concerned to show the greatest restraint and refrain from any provocation to allow a return to calm as swiftly as possible".[27] | ||
On 10 May, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas, told reporters in Brussels that "we can only call on all sides to deescalate this truly explosive situation" and "both sides can contribute to this". He added that both Israeli and Palestinian authorities "have a duty to prevent further civilian casualties".[28] | ||
On 9 May, Pope Francis called for peace and an end to clashes in Jerusalem during his Regina caeli address.[29] [30] [31] [32] | ||
On 12 May, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó wrote on Facebook that "Hungary condemns in the strongest terms the latest missile attacks against Israeli cities carried out by various Palestinian terror groups. We demonstrate our full solidarity with Israel and recognise her right to self-defense. The senseless and indiscriminate violence against civilians must stop immediately."[33] | ||
On 11 May, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti tweeted that India is "deeply concerned at clashes & violence in Temple Mount" and the evictions in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan. He also condemned the Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza and urged all parties to immediately convene for peace talks.[34] On 17 May, in a statement to the United Nations Security Council, Tirumuti reiterated India's support to the 'just Palestinian cause' and its 'unwavering commitment towards the two-state solution' [35] [36] On 12 May, BJP Member of Parliament Tejasvi Surya tweeted for Israel to "stay strong".[37] BJP spokesman of Chandigarh, Gaurav Goel, was also reported to have been regularly tweeting in support of Israel.[38] [39] | ||
On 10 May, President Joko Widodo condemned the Israeli police raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and urged the United Nations Security Council to "take measures". He added that "Indonesia will continue to stand with the people of Palestine". | ||
On 7 May, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, said "Zionists understand nothing but the language of force,"[40] described the Israeli police raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque as "malicious behavior".[41] On 9 May, The Guardian reported that Iranian officials had called on the United Nations to condemn the actions of the Israeli police, describing them as a "war crime".[42] On 11 May, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said that the raid on Al-Aqsa was "the largest evidence of the racist, criminal nature of the usurping entity that was always the primary cause of insecurity and instability in this region". | ||
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed "the solidarity of the Iraqi government and people with the people of Jerusalem, calling for an end to hostile attacks on the safe." And renewed Iraq's "firm and principled position on the Palestinian cause, which was and remains a pivotal issue."[43] | ||
On 10 May, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney condemned the brutal response of the Israeli security services, calling it "completely unacceptable".[44] [45] On 11 May, Leader of the Opposition Mary Lou McDonald said the attacks on Palestine were "wholesale flouting of international law by (the) Israeli state". The same day, Israel's envoy to Ireland was also summoned to lodge an official protest. On 13 May, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar described Israel's attacks against Gaza as "indefensible and unacceptable", going on to say that "annexation, expulsion, plantation and the killing of civilians, deliberately or in terms of collateral damage, is not the behaviour of a democratic state in the 21st century and it is simply unacceptable that such a state or any state should behave in this way".[46] | ||
On 12 May, State Minister of Defense Yasuhide Nakayama expressed support for Israel, tweeting "Israel has the right to protect itself from terrorists."[47] | ||
On 9 May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Israeli police raid on Al-Aqsa as barbaric and summoned the Israeli ambassador to Jordan, Amir Weissbrod, to lodge an official protest. Jordanian news outlets reported that King Abdullah II expressed his support for the Palestinian people and condemned the Israeli actions in a phone call with Mahmoud Abbas.[48] | ||
On 8 May, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, condemned Israeli police actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque.[49] Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin likewise "strongly condemned" Israel, calling for Israel to "immediately cease its aggression".[50] [51] | ||
On 11 May, the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs issued a statement that called for the cessation of violence, expressed condolences to families of victims, and recognised "the right of the Palestinians not to be deprived of their homes in East Jerusalem". The Ministry reiterated its support for a two-state solution.[52] | ||
On 10 May, the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs expressed through its official Twitter account "grave concern" over the rising violence in Jerusalem, Gaza, and other territories throughout Israel and Palestine. It called for a de-escalation from all parties to prevent further harm on civilian population.[53] | ||
On 9 May, Voice of America reported that King Mohammed VI had expressed "deep concern" over the violence in Jerusalem.[54] | ||
On 10 May, the Namibian government, through its Ministry of International Relations, said that it "condemns the violence exercised by the Israeli police [...] against Palestinian demonstrators and the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, assaulting peaceful worshippers".[55] | ||
On 11 May, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nanaia Mahuta, called on Israel to "cease demolitions and evictions" and for "both sides to halt steps which undermine prospects for a two state solution".[56] On 17 May, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern "condemned both the indiscriminate rocket fire we have seen from Hamas and what looks to be a response that has gone well beyond self-defence on both sides." She also stated that Israel had the "right to exist" but Palestinians also had a "right to a peaceful home, a secure home."[57] | ||
On 8 May, the Foreign Ministry of Oman, condemned the Israeli police actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque and "policies and procedures leading to the displacement of the brotherly Palestinian people from their homes in the city of Jerusalem". The Ministry reiterated its support for an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital.[58] | ||
On 9 May, the Prime Minister, Imran Khan, condemned the Israeli police actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque, stating that such actions violated "all norms of humanity and [international] law". Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shah Mahmood Qureshi also condemned the police actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, adding that "such brutality is against [the] very spirit of humanity and human rights law".[59] On 12 May, Khan reiterated his position on the conflict by posting a tweet stating "I am PM of Pakistan and #WeStandWithGaza #WeStandWithPalestine", including a screenshot of a quote attributed to Noam Chomsky from 2012 critiquing the Israeli response to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[60] [61] | ||
On 12 May, the Department of Foreign Affairs released a statement raising "concern" on the escalation of violence in parts of Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, and likewise urged all parties to exercise restraint and seek dialogue to de-escalate tensions and avoid further actions that could affect future Israeli–Palestinian peace negotiations.[62] The country's embassy in Tel Aviv is also preparing plans to move out about 100 out of 300 Filipinos in Ashdod and Ashkelon to safer ground.[63] The Philippines suspended the deployment of migrant workers to Israel on 20 May.[64] | ||
On 10 May, Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement, in which Polish state expresses great concern over the escalation of violence in East Jerusalem. The Ministry urged all parties involved, to take immediate actions leading to easing the tensions and restrain from confrontational rhetoric. The Ministry definitely condemned acts of violence in Gaza Strip and West Bank and expressed concern over the risk of eviction of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah district. Officials opposed any unilateral steps which contribute in heightening tensions which in turn delay the prospect of a peaceful solution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and urged to resume constructive dialogue.[65] | ||
On 8 May, Russian officials expressed "deep concern" and strongly condemned "attacks against civilians". Officials also called on "all parties to refrain from any steps fraught with the escalation of violence". | ||
On 8 May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement that the kingdom "rejects Israel's plans and measures to evict dozens of Palestinians from their homes in Jerusalem and impose Israeli sovereignty over them".[66] | ||
On 10 May, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the ANC condemned "in the strongest possible terms" the potential evictions and the "brutal attacks on Palestinian protesters at Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock".[67] | ||
On 13 May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement that expressed concerns over escalating violence and civilian deaths amid military conflict between Israelis and the Palestinians, and called on both sides to refrain from raising tensions and stop using armed forces, as "violence cannot be justified under any circumstances".[68] | ||
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged for Israel to desist from building settlements in the occupied West Bank, concluding "We call on both parties to abstain from any unilateral action and to resume credible dialogue to push on with the efforts to achieve a two-State solution and bring the conflict to an end."[69] | ||
On 8 May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement describing Israeli actions in Jerusalem as "repression" and "coercive action". The statement called on the Israeli government to "refrain from taking unilateral steps that diminish the chances for resuming peace negotiations". | ||
On 9 May, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave a speech in Ankara describing Israel as a "cruel terrorist state" and calling on the United Nations to intervene to "stop the persecution" of Palestinians. | ||
On 8 May, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khalifa al-Marar, issued a statement condemning the potential evictions and clashes in Jerusalem. He also called on the Israeli government to "provide necessary protection to Palestinian civilians' right to practice their religion, and to prevent practices that violate the sanctity of the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque". | ||
On 10 May, the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, condemned the rocket attacks on Jerusalem and called for "immediate de-escalation on all sides" and an "end to targeting of civilian populations". Leader of the Opposition, Keir Starmer, said that "Israel must respect international law" and called on the Israeli government to work with Palestinian leaders to de-escalate tensions.[70] On 25 May, in an interview with Jacobin magazine, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn urges Israel to end the siege on Gaza.[71] | ||
On 9 May, a representative from the State Department condemned the firing of rockets into Israel from Gaza,[72] followed by a statement from Secretary of State Antony Blinken a day later calling for de-escalation on both sides and expressing concern about rocket attacks into Israel. The State Department also expressed concern about the potential evictions.[73] On 11 May, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki condemned the rocket attacks into Israel and added that President Biden's support for Israel's "legitimate right to defend itself and its people" is "fundamental and will never waiver". She added that White House personnel had been engaging with Israeli and Palestinian officials and that de-escalation was the White House's primary focus.[74] On 12 May, it was announced that Hady Amr, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli–Palestinian Affairs and Press and Public Diplomacy, would be sent to the region "immediately".[75] On May 16, around 28 U.S. Senate Democrats, led by Jon Ossoff, sign a statement calling for a ceasefire.[76] |
On 12 May, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu called for a restoration of peace in the Middle East amid an escalation of fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants.[77] | ||
On 15 May, Prime Minister Ersin Tatar strongly condemned "Israeli attacks against Gaza and condoled with Palestinians", adding he supported and prayed for Palestinians.[78] |
See main article: Protests against the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.
On May 12, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines suspended their flights to Israel.[103]