BY OUR DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT
WORLD leaders from 57 Islamic nations have issued an extraordinary “emergency” ultimatum to Israel, demanding an immediate halt to what they describe as a “genocidal war” and the illegal seizure of Palestinian lands.
In a high-stakes summit held in Jeddah yesterday, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) warned that the Middle East is being pushed toward a “religious war with dire consequences” that could destabilise the entire globe.
The emergency meeting of Foreign Ministers was triggered by Israel’s recent moves to deepen its grip on the West Bank. The OIC top brass hit out at the “colonial settlement” reality being imposed on the territory, branding the expansion of Israeli control as “null and void.”
In a blistering communique, the group accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” and “forced displacement,” claiming the current policies are a direct extension of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In a move that will raise eyebrows in Washington, the OIC issued a direct plea to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The ministers called on the President to “fulfill his pledges” to Arab and Islamic states to prevent the annexation of the West Bank.
They urged the White House to push forward with the “Trump Plan,” demanding a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a transition to a permanent peace.
The rhetoric didn’t stop at the borders. The OIC launched a stinging attack on U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, condemning his recent comments regarding Israeli control over Arab territories. The group dismissed his statements as having “no legal or historical basis.”
They also lashed out at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem for issuing visas to settlers living in what the OIC calls “illegal settlements,” calling the move a “clear breach” of international law.
In its most radical demand yet, the OIC called on the international community to:
Reconsider Israel’s membership in the United Nations.
Sever all diplomatic and economic ties with the “occupying power.”
Impose global sanctions to force a withdrawal to 1967 borders.
The committee also slammed “terrorist crimes” by settlers against Palestinian civilians and demanded the Red Cross be given immediate access to prisoners held in Israeli detention centres.
Holy Sites Under Threat
Tensions are also boiling over religious sites. The OIC warned that attempts to alter the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron are “provocations” that the Islamic world will not ignore.
They reaffirmed that the Al-Aqsa compound—all 144,000 square metres of it—remains a “place of worship exclusively for Muslims.”
As the summit concluded, the Secretary-General was tasked with monitoring the implementation of these demands, leaving the ball firmly in the court of the international community.
