Saudi Arabia hosted a summit of Arab and Islamic leaders to discuss the Palestine issue.
The summit called for an immediate end to Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
What did the leaders say?
Condemned Israel’s military actions as “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing.”
Called for an independent international investigation into these actions.
Urged the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital, in line with the two-state solution and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
Significance of the summit:
Arab countries previously focused on normalizing ties with Israel (e.g., Abraham Accords, 2020) without addressing Palestine.
Past normalization (e.g., Egypt in 1979, Jordan in 1994) included some Israeli compromises.
Abraham Accords gave no benefits to Palestinians.
The summit highlighted collective Arab anger over Israel’s actions and emphasized that solving the Palestine issue is critical for peace in West Asia.
Saudi Arabia was nearing a normalization deal with Israel in 2023, influenced by U.S. interests and concerns over Iran.
The October 7 Hamas attack and the Gaza war strained relations.
Saudi Arabia linked normalization with Israel to resolving the Palestine issue, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasizing the need for an independent Palestinian state.
Will Arabs join the war?
Unlikely. The last Arab-Israel war was in 1973, focused on reclaiming lost territories, not Palestine.
Arab states have avoided direct conflict with Israel since, maintaining peace despite Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.
The October 7 attack stalled the normalization process, with countries like the UAE now requiring a Palestinian state as a condition for future relations.
Arab states are also mending ties with Iran, temporarily easing their regional rivalry.
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