As Donald Trump finalizes the outlines of his policy in the Middle East for his second term, Arab and Muslim countries outlined, Monday, November 11, in Riyadh, a common road map which calls for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and reiterates the centrality of the two-state solution – Israel and Palestine – to restore stability in the region.
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Noting their powerlessness to weigh against the American administration of President Biden, which has proven incapable of restraining its Israeli ally in a conflict which has already left more than 43,000 dead in Gaza and 3,200 dead in Lebanon, and threatens to move towards open confrontation with Iran, Arab and Muslim capitals have raised their voices. One year, to the day, after a first extraordinary summit devoted to Gaza, organized under Saudi auspices, and marked by divisions, the countries of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called for imposing a arms embargo on Israel and to freeze its membership in the United Nations General Assembly.
In a joint statement, they condemn Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip and its expansion into Lebanon, as well as attacks on the sovereignty of Iraq, Syria and Iran, and criticize the inaction of the international community. They denounce the policy of collective punishment pursued by Israel and the use of siege and starvation as weapons against civilians in the Gaza Strip. They call on the international community to take immediate action to end the humanitarian disaster.
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“There was a gradual shift towards a more direct and firm tone. This reflects an observation of failure since the 2023 summit, which produced nothing, underlines Hasni Abidi, director of the Center for Studies and Research on the Arab and Mediterranean world, in Geneva. The Arab States have done everything to avoid being part of what is happening in the region, but they are experiencing increasing weakening, particularly the Gulf States, Egypt and Jordan. Arab opinions are shocked by their powerlessness and criticize the silence of States. »
Support for Mohammed Ben Salman's Iran
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman set the tone in the inaugural speech, endorsing the hardening of the Saudi position towards Israel over the past year. “The kingdom renews its condemnation and categorical rejection of the genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, which left more than 150,000 victims, including martyrs, wounded and missing, most of whom are women and children”condemned the Saudi sovereign.
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