‘Enough silence’: Arab League calls for action against Israel
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the League of Arab States, says the summit unfolding in Doha sends a message to the international community of standing up to Israel.
“The message says enough silence to the acts of thugery by this rogue state, which has been wreaking havoc, destruction, killing and starvation within the region,” Gheit said at the opening remarks of the Arab-Islamic summit.
“Second, silence to criminality is per se a crime. Silence to the violation of international law undermines the international system,” Gheit said.
Such silence, Gheit said, has emboldened the Israeli army to feel that “each and every act is possible and any crime can go unpunished. That’s why they continued to spread destruction from one country to another, ignite the entire religion as if the entire world has passed back into the ages of darkness and barbarism.”
Israeli belligerence crossed all red lines: Egypt’s president
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi says this “important summit convened at a critical moment in which a grave challenge is faced by the entire region”.
He added: “Let me make it clear: This belligerence reflects clearly that Israeli practices have gone beyond diplomatic and military logic. They have crossed all red lines. We strongly condemn Israeli belligerence on Qatar.”
Jordan says response to Qatar attack must be ‘clear, decisive and deterring’
Jordan’s King Abdullah II says the attack on Doha is “living proof” that the threat of Israel is “without limits”.
“Our response must be clear, decisive and, above all, deterring,” he said.
He said Israel has continued its expansionist policies in the occupied West Bank, undermining the possibility of a two-state solution. He added that the summit must produce practical decisions to confront Israel’s actions, end the war in Gaza and prevent the further displacement of Palestinians.
Iraqi PM calls for collective security approach in Islamic world
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has proposed a collective response to attacks on any Arab or Islamic country in which an attack on one is treated as aggression against all.
Speaking at the emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Doha, al-Sudani said: “The security and stability of any Arab or Islamic country [are] an integral part of our collective security.”
Adding that “the current conditions call for moving from condemnation to coordinated collective action”, he proposed forming “a joint Arab-Islamic committee to convey our position to the UN Security Council and General Assembly, the European Union and other international fora”.
“We have a real opportunity to send a clear message confirming that the security of our countries is not a matter of negotiation,” he said.
He urged leaders at the summit to issue “a unified Arab and Islamic position condemning the attack” on Qatar, which he said had “exceeded all limits and violated every humanitarian principle”, and to develop a comprehensive roadmap for a ceasefire.
Failure to deter Israel would “lead to further instability and will not achieve security for any party”, he added.
Erdogan: Israel aims to ‘drag region into chaos’
Erdogan has just addressed the summit in Doha. Here’s a summary of some of his remarks:
- The escalating Israeli aggression poses a direct threat to our region.
- I hope our decisions today will be translated into a written declaration addressed to the entire world.
- It has become clear that the Netanyahu government aims to continue the massacres against the Palestinian people and drag the region into chaos.
- Israeli politicians repeat illusions about the so-called Greater Israel.
- We must strive to bring Israeli officials to justice in accordance with international legal mechanisms.
- We must achieve self-sufficiency in many areas of development and intensify our cooperation in these areas.
- Economic pressure must be exerted on Israel, and past experience has proven the success of such pressure.
- Mechanisms for joint cooperation among Islamic countries must be developed.
- We cannot accept the displacement of the Palestinian people, their genocide or partition.
Palestinian Authority president demands firm Arab response to Israeli ‘crimes’
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas calls on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its actions while urging a “firm” Arab response.
“We call upon the international community to live up to its responsibility, to hold Israel liable and responsible for their crimes and the repeated assault on our countries and peoples, and in this direction, we call for practical measures to prevent any recurrence of these violations,” Abbas said.
Abbas also emphasised the need to end the war in Gaza, the transfer of its population and the seizing of Palestinian land.
Security in the region would also be guaranteed by the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the 1967 borders and the establishment of a Palestinian state, he added.
“The radical far-right government of Israel cannot be a partner to peace and security in our region. This demands a firm Arab and Muslim position and firm intervention by the US and the UN Security Council to bring the rogue state and its behaviour to an end.”
Israeli violations due to ‘impunity they have been enjoying’: Iran’s president
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says countries must “seek the means to stand up” against Israeli assaults in Qatar and on his country. Pezeshkian said Israel’s attack was not “spur of the moment” but part of the policies of the Israeli forces and the “impunity they have been enjoying”.
“For the past two years, Gaza and the Palestinians in Gaza have been suffering greatly, and as we speak, Gaza is still reeling under Israeli fire,” he said. “We should act together to stand up to Israeli behaviour because Israel has violated the sovereignty of a number of Arab and Muslim states under the false pretext of self-defence.”
He added that the weak condemnation of Israel from the international community is allowing it to continue its attacks with impunity.
Pezeshkian says leaders should reinforce their “unity and solidarity” to stand up against Israel. The president added that Israel had not only “violated” Iran’s sovereignty during a 12-day war in June but also violated the “dignity of our people”.
“We should stand up to these threats, reiterating that any further crimes cannot be tolerated and shall not remain silent towards what is unfolding now in Gaza or what has taken place in Beirut or Yemen,” he urged.
Pezeshkian said unity must not only be based on their shared religion but also on the “shared tenets of humanity”.
