Arab and Muslim leaders call for a freeze on Israel’s UN membership

Leaders from Arab and Muslim countries have called for a move to suspend Israel’s membership in the United Nations, aiming to intensify international pressure on the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Lebanon. This proposal marks a major shift in strategy and underlines the seriousness with which regional leaders view the escalation of violence in the Middle East.

At a summit in Riyadh, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the Arab League, stressed the importance of the proposed action to freeze Israel’s membership of the UN. He described it as an “important step” toward addressing long-standing grievances. “There is a paragraph in this text that I consider very important and essential, a paragraph that talks about submitting to the General Assembly a freeze on Israel’s membership,” Aboul Gheit said. He pointed out that Israel’s first admission to the UN was in 1949 under Resolution 181, a decision that many now believe is too late for reconsideration.

Aboul Gheit expressed confidence that a broad coalition of countries would support the effort. “Today, the Islamic group and the Arab group are two organizations that are working for the international community, and I am confident that there are many countries that will support the idea of ​​freezing membership.” he added.

The summit in Riyadh brought together leaders from across the Arab and Muslim worlds with the aim of finding a path to de-escalation, promoting peace and breaking the cycle of violence. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan reaffirmed the collective commitment to seek a diplomatic solution. At a press conference after the summit, he stressed the importance of holding the international community accountable for its response to the conflict: “We cannot allow the international community to try to ignore Israel’s crimes, focus on non-essentials and justify its silence in any way.”

The summit’s final declaration called on countries around the world to halt any export or transfer of arms and ammunition to Israel. Moreover, it supported a Turkish-led initiative, supported by 18 core countries and signed by 52 countries, in addition to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League. This initiative aims to put pressure on the United Nations Security Council and other international entities to end the flow of arms to Israel and calls for global adoption of the resolution.