Daily Times

By all means, the recent Riyadh summit was a nicely-choreographed meet up of leaders of over 50 Arab and Islamic nations. As was expected, the summit ended with another round of declarations against Israel’s brutal aggression in Palestine. These declarations, like countless before them, will likely fall short of delivering any real change for the Palestinian people, who continued to be killed by relentless violence of Israel when the summit was ongoing. Israel, with the strong backing of Western allies, shows least care to to such condemnations.

As no concrete measures were announced, this summit becomes yet another symbolic gathering. The summit’s joint statement calls for an immediate halt to Israel’s military actions and an end to arms supplies to Israel. It also urges global efforts to recognise Palestine as a member of the United Nations and calls for a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. The statement includes a demand to bring Israel to trial for war crimes and temporarily suspend its UN membership.

These calls, by all means, preach moral conviction but lack enforceability. Israel’s close ties with Western nations ensure a steady supply of advanced weapons. The international community only comes up with verbal disapproval which does little to alter this arrangement.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for an immediate ceasefire and highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Gaza where hunger, homelessness and disease plague innocent civilians. He condemned Israel’s continued strikes on hospitals, refugee camps and schools. Wait a minute: in the face of these words, Israeli attacks on Gaza continued. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s call for Israel to respect Iran’s sovereignty was similarly disregarded.

Israel’s unchecked aggression is bolstered by American support at the United Nations Security Council. Some international voices, including US President-elect Donald Trump, claim to seek an end to wars, meaningful action on Palestine remains elusive. For real change, Arab and Islamic nations must move beyond declarations and establish concrete, coordinated measures.

Financial or trade sanctions, a halt to diplomatic ties, or unified action at the UN could send a stronger message than statements alone. As long as words remain unsupported by action, Israel will continue to expand its hold on Palestinian lands, and the plight of the Palestinians will remain unchanged. *