Saudi Arabia, widely regarded as the de facto leader of the Muslim world, along with its neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, reportedly opposed a proposal at the Islamic-Arab summit to sever all ties with Israel. The proposal suggested cutting diplomatic and economic relations with Tel Aviv, closing Arab airspace to Israeli flights, and leveraging oil as a means to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. The move was rejected by several countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco, Mauritania, and Djibouti, according to Ehud Ya’ari, an Arab affairs analyst.
While Livemint could not independently verify the development, two delegates mentioned that Algeria had proposed a complete cut in ties with Israel at the summit. Other Arab nations argued against the demand, emphasizing the importance of maintaining communication channels with Tel Aviv amid the ongoing crisis.
Originally scheduled separately, Saudi Arabia combined the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting and the Arab League Summit due to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held Israel responsible for the “crimes committed against the Palestinian people” and called for an immediate ceasefire. The summit marked the first visit by an Iranian head of state to Saudi Arabia, where President Ebrahim Raisi urged Islamic countries to designate the Israeli military as a “terrorist organization.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed an international peace conference for a lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, emphasizing the need for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The summit, attended by representatives of 57 Muslim-majority nations, saw calls for holding Israel accountable for humanitarian atrocities in Gaza. Joko Widodo, Indonesia’s President, stated that the OIC must use all means to achieve this accountability.
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