ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Policy Institute (IPI) on Saturday issued a strong call to Muslim leaders attending the upcoming Arab-Islamic summit to move beyond rhetoric and implement concrete measures to halt Israel’s escalating violence in Palestine and its aggression toward Muslim nations.

The think-tank suggested targeted sanctions against Israel and its diplomatic isolation at the United Nations as key steps in addressing the ongoing crisis.

IPI made this appeal in its recommendations for the upcoming Arab League-OIC joint summit scheduled to take place in Riyadh on November 11. The recommendations followed an IPI-hosted seminar, “Israel’s genocide in Palestine and regional aggression: the world order at a crossroads?”

The IPI’s proposals included the establishment of an OIC-led humanitarian flotilla to deliver urgent aid to Gaza, commitments for Gaza’s reconstruction, efforts to mobilise a UN coalition to diplomatically isolate Israel, and the use of economic leverage through targeted sanctions.

Think-tank says Arab League-OIC joint summit should go for targeted sanctions against Israel and its diplomatic isolation at UN

“Decisive action by the OIC is essential to reaffirm its commitment to peace and to ensuring the safety and security of the Muslim world,” the statement underlined.

Senator Mushahid Hussain, speaking at the seminar’s inaugural session, voiced strong support for immediate and decisive action from the Muslim world. He proposed that the Arab-OIC emergency summit create a high-powered international leaders delegation, comprising Muslim leaders as well as representatives from the Global South and Europe. This delegation, he suggested, should visit US President-elect Donald Trump to advocate for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and international recognition of an independent Palestinian state.

Senator Mushahid also outlined several key initiatives to address the Palestinian crisis, including the formation of a naval humanitarian flotilla, comprising Türkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia, to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza under UN authorisation. Additionally, he proposed the creation of a Palestine Reconstruction Fund to support the rebuilding of Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the establishment of a Nuremberg-style war crimes tribunal to hold Israeli leaders accountable for their actions. He criticised the OIC’s perceived inaction, stating that “Muslim states have affluence without influence.”

Iranian Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghaddam emphasised the crucial importance of the current developments in the Middle East, urging Arab nations to decide whether they will align with Western-Israeli interests or stand in opposition, following the example of leaders such as Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah.

He said the ongoing struggle between “right and wrong” would persist, despite the West’s material dominance and accused Israel and its allies of employing genocidal tactics as part of a broader strategy to impose a “new world order.”

Ambassador Moghaddam also criticised international institutions, including the UN and the International Red Cross, for failing to protect human rights and for reinforcing a power structure that favours Western interests.

He pointed out that even non-Western members of the UN Security Council such as China and Russia faced limitations in acting against Western-aligned interests under the current global order.

Syrian Ambassador Dr Ramez Alraee reflected on Israel’s long-standing aggression toward Syria and called for greater unity among Muslim nations to oppose Israel’s actions and support the Palestinian cause.

Dr Shireen Mazari, Chairperson of IPI, expressed frustration over OIC’s inability to respond effectively to the crisis in Gaza and the West Bank. She urged Muslim countries to take a proactive stance, both individually and collectively, in confronting what she termed the genocide against Palestinians.

She also criticised the failure of powerful nations to uphold international law and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine, which mandates intervention to protect vulnerable populations. She warned that the global order was not just at a crossroads but had been fundamentally destabilised with far-reaching consequences beyond the Middle East.

The IPI chairperson cautioned that Pakistan must remain vigilant in the face of potential broader conflict involving Iran and Israel.

However, she lamented that internal political crises had diverted Pakistan’s focus.

“We are so locked into internal political machinations and a reign of political terror that we have failed to recognise the shifting global landscape around us,” she maintained.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2024