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Friday March 29, 2024

OIC summit

By Editorial Board
December 16, 2017

President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement that the US was formally recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and beginning the process of shifting its embassy from Tel Aviv was always going to draw a strong response from the Muslim world. The US decision killed off whatever was left of the peace process and put paid to any hope of a two-state solution in the near future. The emergency Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit in Istanbul was the first opportunity for Muslim-majority countries to demonstrate a united front against the unilateral US move. The draft declaration released at the end of the summit recognised East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and called on all countries to extend official recognition both to the state of Palestine and the occupied East Jerusalem as its capital. It termed Trump’s decision as a de-facto sign of its withdrawal from a role as a sponsor of peace in the Middle East. Prime Shahid Khaqan Abbasi gave one of the more forceful speeches at the summit, denouncing the US for violating international law, recommending the UN General Assembly be mobilised into action should the UN Security Council shirk its duty and even suggesting approaching the International Court of Justice.

The OIC is obviously on the moral high ground when it comes to this issue. The brutal, illegal Israeli occupation needs to be ended through any means necessary, something Trump has just made more difficult. Whether it will succeed is another matter altogether. Israel has shown no remorse for its continuing war crimes and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to dismiss the OIC statement. He has the complete backing of Trump. Even a change of administration in the US will not be of any help since every American president is in thrall to the Zionist lobby. The OIC itself is believed to be divided, which will hinder its effectiveness. It is telling that the conference was held in Turkey, with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in attendance but with the Saudis being notable absentees. Even though Saudi Arabia has been forthright in condemning Trump, there is an impression that the Saudis consider Iran to be the greater enemy than Israel. For the sake of the long-suffering Palestinians, regional enmities need to be put aside for the greater cause. The OIC made a good start by inviting Venezuela, whose leftist government is a natural ally of the Palestinian people, to the conference. It now needs to bring other countries into the fold to show the international community that the Palestinian cause transcends religion.