Arab and Muslim leaders have come together for a summit in Saudi Arabia. On Monday (November 11), they are expected to discuss the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon there. Through this, an opportunity has been created to send a message to the newly elected US President Donald Trump after the discussion. French news agency AFP reported.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry announced plans to form a new international alliance last October. whose aim was to promote the establishment of a Palestinian state. The conference held in Riyadh comes a year after a similar meeting last year. There, Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) leaders condemned Israeli forces' actions in Gaza as “barbaric”.
Anna Jacobs, senior analyst at the International Crisis Analysis Group, said the summit could be an opportunity for regional leaders to clearly communicate their expectations to the incoming US administration, given Trump's recent victory. He said the likely message would be dialogue, de-escalation and condemnation of Israeli military operations.
The war in Gaza began on October 7 last year after a surprise attack by Hamas. The attack killed 1,206 people, most of whom were civilians. Israel's military operation in retaliation for the attack killed more than 43,600 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry. The United Nations also considers this figure acceptable. Israel is waging war against the pro-Iranian Hezbollah group in Lebanon.
Despite criticism over the impact of Israel's operations on civilians in Gaza, outgoing President Joe Biden has maintained unwavering US military support.
During his first term, Trump showed strong support for Israel. He went against international opinion to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moved the US embassy there. In addition, he supported illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Under Trump's supervision, diplomatic relations were established between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco under the Abraham Accords.
However, Saudi Arabia has not joined these agreements. However, Trump developed a close relationship with Saudi Arabia during his regime. Recently, Saudi Arabia has clearly stated that diplomatic relations with Israel will not be established until the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Saudi political expert Umer Karim believes that through this conference, Saudi Arabia wants to send a message to the Trump administration that it can be trusted as a representative of the Muslim world to protect US interests.
Karim said, if Trump wants to expand US interests in the Middle East, then Saudi Arabia will be the main partner for that work.
The 57-member OIC and the 22-member Arab League include countries that recognize Israel and strongly oppose its regional integration. Last year's summit in Riyadh saw disagreements over issues such as cutting off economic and diplomatic ties with Israel and cutting off oil supplies.
According to Karim, Monday's post-conference statement is likely to condemn Israel. It may also call for US diplomatic intervention and mediation.
The presence of the then Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi at the November 2023 meeting signaled a shift in Middle East diplomacy. In March 2023, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced the restoration of relations mediated by China.
