Munich Group Ministerial Meeting on the Middle East Peace Process – Joint statement by the Foreign Ministries of France, Egypt, Germany and Jordan (11 May 2023)

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of France, Egypt, Germany and Jordan met today (11 May) in Berlin within the Munich Group mechanism and consulted on measures needed to achieve a just and lasting peace.

We are deeply alarmed by this new round of violence and the deteriorating security situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel, and on-going developments in Gaza, which has claimed unacceptable civilian casualties including women and children.

We urge an immediate comprehensive ceasefire which will end Israeli military operations in Gaza and indiscriminate rocket firing against Israel. International humanitarian law must be respected.

France, Germany and Jordan commended Egyptian efforts to bring about an immediate ceasefire. The saddening facts serve as a dire reminder that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict needs immediate attention to prevent a major conflagration. A political horizon is required to give people hope, a meaningful perspective and to end the occupation.

The Ministers emphasised that all causes of tension and triggers of violence must end including unilateral measures undermining the viability of the two state solution and prospects of a just and lasting peace.

We strongly commend the efforts undertaken jointly by the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the United States America to ease tensions and prevent further violence with the aim of creating momentum necessary for resuming a wide political process leading to a just and lasting peace on the basis of the two-state solution. We call on the parties to scrupulously implement their commitments undertaken in Aqaba on February 26th 2023 and reiterated in Sharm El-Sheikh on March 19th 2023.

We call for upholding unchanged the Status Quo of Jerusalem’s Holy Sites. In this respect, we recall the importance of the Hashemite custodianship of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem. We are also deeply concerned by the growing pressure against Christian and Muslim communities in Jerusalem.

These latest events illustrate the need to restore a credible political process leading to a comprehensive and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians through a negotiated two-state solution, ensuring an independent, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State, based on June 4, 1967 lines and consistent with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

We will continue to work with all parties to create realistic horizons for the resumption of a credible political process. We also stress that the attainment of a just and lasting peace is a strategic objective that is in the interest of all parties and key to security and stability in the region.