A joint summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League at Riyadh on Monday, November 11 pushed for broader international support for Israel’s expulsion from the UN in the coming days and formation of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The joint statement issued at the end of the summit says that the participants will prepare a draft resolution to be presented in “tenth special session (uniting for peace)” in the General Assembly to seek Israel’s expulsion “on the basis of its violations of the United Nations Charter, its threat to international peace and security and failure to its membership,” obligations as per the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on July 19, 2024.
The ICJ, in its advisory opinion, ruled Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories illegal. It also said that the occupation violates prohibitions on racial segregation and apartheid, asking Israel to end its occupation, dismantle all illegal settlements, provide full reparation to all Palestinian victims, and facilitate Palestinian refugee’s right to return.
Apart from reiterating their stance on Palestinian statehood and centrality of East Jerusalem as capital of a future Palestinian state, the joint statement also condemned Israel for violating Iranian and Syrian sovereignty and warned the international community that this can lead to dangerous escalation in the region.
The statement also called on “all countries to ban the export or transfer of weapons and ammunition to Israel.” It also invited all the countries to escalate the issue in the UN, to make it mandatory for all countries to adhere to the arms embargo on Israel.
The joint statement urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to immediately issue arrest warrants against Israeli civilian and military officials for committing crimes against Palestinian people.
The summit this year witnessed a greater consensus on actions against Israel. A similar summit held in Riyadh on the same date last year had failed to call for such united international actions, due to differences among participating nations.
Larger Afro-Asian unity regarding Palestine
The OIC, Arab League and African Union (AU) signed a tripartite agreement on the Palestinian issue on the sidelines of the summit. The agreement is a part of the joint commitment of these three organizations, representing around 90 countries from Africa and Asia, to the Palestinian cause and anti-colonial movements across the world. The three organizations committed to promote the Palestinian cause through “political, legal humanitarian, media and cultural means,” the OIC statement says.
Defying the speculations of possible divisions between Gulf countries and Iran, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman, during his inaugural speech, demanded Israel desist from further attacks on Gaza, Lebanon, and other parts of the region including Iran. He urged the international community to intervene to stop the Israeli genocide of Palestinians and to prevent the escalation of the war.
Iran’s First Vice President, Mohammadreza Aref, represented his country in the summit. He emphasized that the indifference of the international community to hold Israel accountable for its repeated violations of international law has emboldened the “Zionist regime” to kill more Palestinians.
Aref called for a collective action against the Israeli regime so that it stops its crimes against Palestinian people and never repeats it. He also demanded adequate compensation for people in Gaza and Lebanon affected by the Israeli war.
A day earlier, Iran’s deputy minister for legal and international affairs Kazem Gharibabadi had called for expelling Israel from the UN membership for its complete disregard for the UN charter and resolutions, its treatment of UN secretary general and agencies such as UNRWA, and the killing of hundreds of UN staff in Gaza.
Iran also reiterated its call for an arms embargo and comprehensive economic and political sanctions on Israel.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told the gathering that “Israel no longer belongs within the civilized community of nations, and its barbarism demands nothing less than a decisive action to safeguard not just the Middle East, but the entire global order.”
Ibrahim had announced earlier that his country is already drafting a resolution demanding the expulsion of Israel from the UN. On Monday, he also demanded sanctions against Israel, calling its actions in Gaza a “senseless carnage.”
The joint statement issued at the end of the summit also called on the international community to “take effective action to compel Israel to adhere to international law.” It denounced the “double standards in the application of international law, international humanitarian law, the United Nations Charter,” warning that “this double standard seriously undermines the credibility” of the states such as the US “that immunize Israel and place it above accountability” apart from undermining “the credibility of the multilateral action.”