Doha calls for an end to ‘double standards’ and sanctions against Tel Aviv for its ‘war crimes’
- Qatar is not alone
- Israel wants to make Gaza uninhabitable for Palestinians
- No Arab country is safe from Israeli aggression
- Turkey and Qatar threaten to withdraw from negotiations
- Joint statement
Representatives from all Arab countries travelled to the Qatari capital at the behest of Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit to jointly condemn what they considered an attack on the principle of mediation, state terrorism and reckless aggression.
The emergency Arab -Islamic summit, organised jointly by the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, aims to draft a declaration on the Israeli attack on Qatar on 9 September, which targeted the residences of the ideological leaders of the attacks of 7 October 2023, in which more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 250 kidnapped.
Since then, more than 64,000 Palestinians have died as a result of the war and more than 164,000 have been wounded, according to figures released by the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza.
The summit was attended by the Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates, the Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Presidential Court, Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed; Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman; Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco; Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian; Lebanese President Joseph Aoun; Sudanese Army Chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan; Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf; Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan; Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Hamad Al-Sabah; Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said; Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas; Syrian President Ahmed Al-Shara; and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
Also in attendance were King Abdullah II of Jordan; Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim; and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with the presidents of the Comoros, Maldives, and Somalia.
Qatar is not alone
Israel's attack has brought the Arab world together in support of Qatar. "Qatar is not alone. The Arab and Islamic world supports it. The Israeli attack crossed all boundaries. An attack on any Arab is an attack on all of us,‘ said the secretary-general of the Arab League during his opening speech.
’Israel's crimes will not be forgotten... and an attack on a country that is mediating a ceasefire will not be forgotten," added Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Qatari Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani called on the international community to punish Israel for the attacks against Hamas leaders in Doha and urged them to ‘stop using double standards’. As Qatar's highest representative, Al-Thani was the most forceful political leader.
"This attack can only be described as state terrorism that violates international law. Have you ever heard of such an aggression? A state that participates in negotiations and yet attacks the place where they are held? If Israel wants to assassinate leaders, why engage in negotiations? If they insist on the release of hostages, why assassinate all the negotiators? How can we welcome Israeli negotiating delegations to our country when they send drones and planes to carry out air strikes?"
Israel wants to make Gaza uninhabitable for Palestinians
The actions being carried out by Benjamin Netanyahu's government have been the focus of all the speeches. The rhetoric against Israel in the Arab world is reaching unprecedented levels.
For Arab leaders, Israel's intention to colonise the Gaza Strip and create Greater Israel is part of the Jewish state's plan to dominate the Arab region, as the only non-Arab country in it.
According to the Sheikh of Qatar, backed by all the leaders present at the Arab-Islamic summit, ‘what Netanyahu really wants is to ensure that Gaza is uninhabitable and to continue the incursions and aggressions in order to achieve his true goal’.
Seconding the emir's words, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani stressed that Israeli policies only lead to more instability.
No Arab country is safe from Israeli aggression
As Israel's main rival, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed that Israeli policies, backed by the Israeli prime minister's words that they will kill Hamas leaders ‘wherever they are,’ are confirmation that Israel is capable of anything to destroy the terrorist organisation, which is financially supported by Iran.
Pezeshkian added that Western support could further widen the gap with the Arab world.
Along the same lines, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, President of Egypt, condemned and warned that ‘Israel's behaviour is solely destabilising, as it is the only scenario in which the Jewish state can gain international support that affects the territorial integrity of its neighbours’.
He added that Israel is the only obstacle to achieving peace in the region. Finally, he called on those present to establish an Arab-Islamic consultation system or mechanism to address challenges, similar to NATO.
On the other hand, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that ‘the aim of the attack was not to assassinate the negotiators. Rather, it was to eliminate the very idea of negotiation.’
Turkey and Qatar threaten to withdraw from negotiations
The consequences of Israel's failed attack in Doha against Hamas leaders are undeniable. The violation of the airspace of the main ally in the peace negotiations could be a blow to establishing lasting peace in the conflict.
In a world where Europe is becoming less and less influential, and with a perception of global geopolitics very similar to that of the Cold War with two very distinct blocs, Turkey is emerging alongside Qatar.
During his speech, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan harshly pointed to Israel as a country with ‘bandit’ policies that must pay for its actions. ‘Israel must be cornered economically... Turkey is willing to share the capabilities of its defence industry with brother countries.’ Erdogan's aggressive tone is based on the fact that the establishment of Greater Israel entails Israel's invasion of part of Turkish territory. The Turkish president added that the loss of trust in the United States, following its alleged support for Israel in the attack on Doha, will cause the Ottoman country to rethink its role as a mediator, including in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Joint statement
Finally, after more than four hours, the leaders of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation reached a 25-point agreement concluding that: the brutal aggression against Doha is an act of war; condemnation of this act; reaffirmation of solidarity with Qatar; the attack on Doha is a serious blow to the search for a ceasefire; praise for Qatar's behaviour after being attacked; joint rejection of Israeli policies; condemnation of the use of force to seek peace in the Middle East; rejection of Israel's expansionist plans; the urgent need for action by the international community; request to the United Nations to implement the two-state solution; reaffirmation of the role of mediating countries; and the obligation of Palestinians to be able to live within their territory.