Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called on Israel to immediately cease its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. This happened during a summit of Arab and Muslim leaders in Riyadh. He condemned the massacre of Palestinians and Lebanese civilians while speaking at the combined Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit. He urged world leaders to exert pressure on Israel to acknowledge Palestinian sovereignty and put an end to additional violence.
Like the crown prince, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, denounced Israel’s military actions. He talked about the need for lasting peace and cautioned that continued violence against Palestinians threatens long-term stability. He further emphasized that the seriousness of this war should not be taken lightly.
According to the Saudi press agency, the key priority for the summit is to take measures to stop Israel’s operation, safeguard civilians, and aid Palestinian and Lebanese residents. Another important goal of the summit was to put international pressure to take a crucial step to ensure peace.
Leaders from various parts of the world attended the summit. The list includes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati were also there. Even though Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian could not attend, he called MBS to reassure him of Iran’s support.
At a similar summit conducted previously, leaders denounced Israel’s actions. Furthermore, they could not agree on a course of action. The contrasting perspectives of the 57-member OIC and 22-member Arab League reflect disagreements about how to respond to Israel’s regional activities. Political analysts predict the meeting will be a forum to convey regional goals to the incoming US administration. This summit of Arab and Muslim leaders brought light to the need to ease tension and find peace amid growing violence and political unrest in the region.
