In a significant diplomatic move, Saudi Arabia has called upon the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain to halt their diplomatic relations with Israel. The call was made during a meeting of the executive committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the level of foreign ministers held in Jeddah on Wednesday.
Expressing deep concern over the recent surge in violence in the Gaza Strip, the OIC condemned what it termed as Israel's "genocidal" attacks on Gaza. The organization urged the international community to take decisive action against what it deemed as Israel's crimes against the people of Gaza.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, conveyed a message from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to his counterparts in the UAE and Bahrain, encouraging them to suspend their diplomatic ties with Israel. The message attributed the current escalation in Gaza to the expeditious normalization agreements between the two Gulf nations and Israel. It stated, "The haste by the UAE and Bahrain to normalize relations with Israel was the main reason for what is happening today in Gaza. These two countries should suspend their diplomatic ties with Israel as soon as possible."
Furthermore, the message underscored the belief that the normalization agreements signed in 2020 had bolstered Israel's confidence, leading to an increase in aggression against the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia contends that such agreements should have awaited the initiation of a peace process grounded in the two-state solution.
In response to the crisis, the OIC meeting issued a resolution vehemently condemning Israel's actions in Gaza and calling for an immediate cessation of the violence. The resolution reflects the collective stance of OIC member states against what they perceive as a threat to regional peace and security.
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