OIC rejects Trump's Mideast plan, tells member states not to 'enforce it in any way or form'

Published
12
Palestinian Foreign Minster Riyad al-Maliki (R) delivers a speech during an emergency ministerial meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah on February 3, 2020, to address US President Donald Trump's Middle East plan. (Photo by - / AFP) — AFP or licensors
Palestinian Foreign Minster Riyad al-Maliki (R) delivers a speech during an emergency ministerial meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah on February 3, 2020, to address US President Donald Trump's Middle East plan. (Photo by - / AFP) — AFP or licensors

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday rejected United States President Donald Trump's plan for the Middle East, calling on its 57 member states not to help implement it.

The pan-Islamic body, which represents more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, "rejects this US-Israeli plan, as it does not meet the minimum aspirations and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and contradicts the terms of reference of the peace process," it said in a statement.

It called on “all member states not (to) deal with this plan or cooperate with the US Administration efforts to enforce it in any way or form”.

Read: Diplomatic dupery

Last week, Trump had confounded predictions and proposed a “two-state” solution to the decades-long conflict, which envisages Israel and a future Palestinian state living alongside each other, with conditions.

The plan would see a Palestinian state with its capital in “eastern Jerusalem”, though in an area cut off from much of the city by an Israeli military barrier.

The plan unveiled by Trump would allow the Palestinians to establish a capital on the outskirts of east Jerusalem but would leave most of the city under Israeli control. It also envisages a Palestinian state in parts of the West Bank, but would allow Israel to annex its settlements in the occupied territory.

The plan was rejected by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who called it a "slap of the century" and promised to "take it to the dustbin of history".

On Saturday, the Palestinian Authority cut off all ties with the US and Israel including those relating to security.

The plan prompted a lukewarm response from Europe and the United Nations, and a furious rebuke from key Muslim countries who denounced it as a betrayal of the Palestinians. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lambasted the plan as “absolutely unacceptable”, while Pakistan called for a "a two-state solution, as enshrined in the relevant Security Council and General Assembly Resolutions".

The Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo said the plan would not lead to a comprehensive and just peace, and that the League would not cooperate with the US in implementing it.

The ministers affirmed Palestinian rights to create a future state based on the land captured and occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, with East Jerusalem as capital, the final communique said.

Foreign ministers from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, among others, said there could be no peace without recognising Palestinian rights and a comprehensive solution.

After Trump unveiled his plan, some Arab powers had appeared, despite historic support for the Palestinians, to prioritise close ties with the US and a shared hostility towards Iran over traditional Arab alliances.

Three Gulf Arab states — Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates — attended the White House gathering where Trump announced his plan alongside Netanyahu.

Opinion

Editorial

Muddled hierarchy
Updated 15 Nov, 2026

Muddled hierarchy

The jurisdiction of the two courts and a mechanism for settling disputes between them should be spelt out in law, not left to judges to fight over.
Growing crisis
15 Nov, 2026

Growing crisis

AN emergency can be judged by the speed with which it draws an effective response. The National Population Council’s...
Organised rackets
15 Nov, 2026

Organised rackets

ON the International Day against Transnational Organised Crime, observed today, Pakistan finds itself in a tight...
Referendum talk
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Referendum talk

Unless the PPP is deliberately using Sindh as a bargaining chip, it should issue a clarification with a clear, consistent position on new administrative units, not one tailored to protect its home turf.
Mineral wealth
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Mineral wealth

Minerals should not be presented as a solution to Pakistan’s long-term economic difficulties. The aim should be to build an industrial base rather than export raw materials.
Late diagnosis
14 Nov, 2026

Late diagnosis

AS we mark World Diabetes Day today, Pakistan faces a troubling question: how many people are living with diabetes...