OIC’s tepid response to Israeli war crimes disappoints Palestinians

Developing Just Leadership

Crescent International

Rabi' al-Thani 27, 1445 2023-11-11

Daily News Analysis

by Crescent International

The November 11 meeting of members of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) did not produce any plan that would give any comfort to the Palestinians facing zionist barbarism.

Nor would it cause the Israeli war criminals to lose any sleep.

The OIC meeting in Riyadh was dubbed the ‘Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit’ because it was a joint session of the Arab League and the OIC.

It was called to discuss Israel’s aggression against the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS), who hosted the conference, and the OIC Secretary-General, Hissein Brahim Taha issued long-winded statements.

True, the OIC Secretary-General stressed the 57-mmber body’s rejection of forced displacement of the Palestinians, yet again, from their own land.

He also demanded immediate cessation of Israeli aggression and a just and durable peace for the Palestinian people.

As far as rhetoric goes, this was fine stuff.

What practical steps did the OIC propose to end zionist war crimes against defenceless Palestinian people?

The only practical proposals were offered by Iran’s President Ibrahim Raiesi.

He said all countries should immediately stop the supply of oil and gas to the zionist entity.

Second, all member-countries of the Arab League and the OIC should cut off diplomatic ties with the illegitimate usurping zionist entity and not allow their airspace to be used by Israeli planes.

President Raiesi also called for end to arms sales to the settler colonial entity which is backed to the hilt by the US, the primary source of all evil in the region and indeed globally.

And finally, he called for an international commission to try Israeli political and military leaders for war crimes.

While the other 56 members heard the Iranian president politely and some even nodded in approval, not one head of state came forward to join his call for bold action.

Nor did any member country with diplomatic ties with the zionist monstrosity announce that they would cut off these ties.

What holds them back from taking this principled stand?

Bolivia, a non-Muslim country in South America has cut off ties with Israel over its barbarous onslaught on innocent Palestinian civilians.

Since October 7, Israel has murdered nearly 11,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The collective west led by the US, is backing the zionist war criminals and are united in refusing to ask for even a ceasefire.

They are essentially greenlighting Israel’s murder of innocent civilians.

Amid this carnage, MbS again revived the old Fahd Plan that was offered to Israel in 2002.

Under that plan, a Palestinian state would be established on the lands of pre-June 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital in return for Arab states recognizing Israel.

Even this plan, which is totally unworkable today because of aggressive Israeli settlements across the West Bank, has been contemptuously dismissed by the greedy land-grabbing zionists.

While the Palestinian people facing relentless bombardment from the Israeli war machine, are looking for practical steps to help them, the OIC issued only meaningless statements.

True, the OIC called for a ceasefire and humanitarian corridors for the delivery of food, water, medicine and fuel, but Israel has shown little inclination to allow any such relief except for very restricted time periods.

What was needed was for OIC member-states that have diplomatic relations with the zionist entity to cut off those ties.

Further, they should have issued a joint declaration that unless Israel immediately halts its genocide of innocent Palestinian civilians, all these countries will collectively launch a military operation against the zionist entity to bring it to heel.

Between them, the 57-member states have enough armed forces, aircraft and missiles that can obliterate the zionist entity from the face of the earth.

In order to take such a step, however, requires first and foremost the independence of these countries from the clutches of imperialism and zionism.
When rulers have no support among the masses and are dependent for survival on external predatory powers, how can they even contemplate taking such bold action?

Most of these rulers whether in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the UAE etc see what Hamas did on October 7 as a threat to their survival.

They are terrified of their own people who are likely to derive inspiration from Hamas’s bold action against Israel.

The OIC, even meeting in a joint session with Arab League members, did not offer any practical help despite valiant efforts by President Raiesi of Iran.

While the Palestinian people will continue to resist even with their bare hands the zionist war criminals and barbarians, their disappointment at the lack of practical help from the OIC will only increase.