In Riyadh on Saturday, November 11, Arab and Muslim leaders put aside their hostilities and differences to present a united front in condemnation of Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7.
The sudden return of the Palestinian issue to Arab and Muslim consciousness, and the wait-and-see attitude of the Western countries, which are locked in unconditional support for Israel, called for a strong response on their part. Nevertheless, the old fractures running through the Middle East remain, preventing the articulation of a common vision for ending the war and drawing up a diplomatic horizon for "what comes next."
The extraordinary joint summit of the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), convened under the guidance of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as "MBS," is in itself unprecedented. In line with his diplomatic activism on a number of issues, the young prince assumed his role as leader of the Arab-Muslim world by inviting his allies – King Abdullah II of Jordan, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi – as well as his rivals – Iranian President Ebrahim Raissi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani – to mobilize for Gaza.
With one voice, dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders issued a final declaration condemning "the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, the war crimes and the barbaric and inhuman massacres perpetrated by the government of occupation."
They called for an immediate ceasefire, the lifting of the siege of Gaza and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid. They all rejected the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt or from the West Bank to Jordan and called for an end to arms exports to Israel. They called for a relaunch of the peace process to enable the establishment of a Palestinian state, alongside Israel.
Each of these leaders had harsh words for Israel and its Western backers. Bin Salman, who was still rejoicing in September at the progress of normalization with Israel, criticized a "barbaric war." He said he held "the [Israeli] occupation authorities responsible for the crimes committed against the Palestinian people" and deplored the "failure of the [UN] Security Council and the international community to put an end to Israel's flagrant violations of international law." He added: "We are certain that the only way to guarantee security, peace and stability in the region is to put an end to the occupation, siege and colonization."
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