PIJ: Riyadh summit final statement reflects collective evasion of duty

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
12 Nov 2023 02:38
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The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement says through its final statement, the summit of 57 countries appeared incapable of anything except plead and demand.

This handout picture provided by the Iranian Presidency on November 11, 2023, shows Arab and Islamic leaders posing during a family group portrait prior to the start of an emergency meeting of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in Riyadh. (Photo by Handout / Iranian Presidency / AFP)

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement commented on the resolutions of the joint Arab-Islamic summit held in Riyadh to discuss the situation in Gaza, expressing its strong astonishment at the summit's final statement.

In a statement, the PIJ indicated that condemnations, demands, and calls highlighted in the summit's final statement gave the impression that the statement was issued by an entity unrelated to the massacres against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. It said that, through its statement, the summit of 57 countries appeared incapable of anything except plead and demand.

The PIJ said the summit's final statement reflects the collective evasion of Arab and Islamic countries from their responsibilities and distancing themselves from their duty to protect Arab and Islamic national security. It also accused these countries of abandoning Palestine and its people to the Zionist entity and its Western backers.

The PIJ movement expressed its strong disagreement with the final statement's affirmation of adhering to the so-called 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, emphasizing that the prerequisite for peace with "Tel Aviv" and establishing normal relations with it is ending its occupation of all Palestinian and Arab territories, especially as some Arab regimes are rushing toward normalization with the Zionist entity.

According to the PIJ, the summit's final statement would have gained credibility if normalizing Arab and Islamic countries had taken the step of severing ties with the Israeli occupation, similar to some Latin American countries that have no cultural or religious ties with Palestine.

It concluded by stating that the summit's resolutions send a message to the Arab and Islamic nations that these regimes are "incapable of protecting their people and defending the nation's sanctities," leaving their people at the mercy of the Zionist entity and the US administration.

Earlier, the final statement of the Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh emphasized the need to break the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and immediately allow humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and fuel.

The statement called on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to initiate an immediate investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by "Israel" against the Palestinian people in all occupied Palestinian territories, including the eastern part of occupied al-Quds.

It condemned the "inhuman crimes and massacres committed by the colonial occupation government," rejecting the characterization of this retaliatory war as "self-defense" or justifiable under any pretext.

The summit took place simultaneously as the Israeli occupation continued its aggression on Gaza for the 36th day, targeting hospitals, residential areas, and all aspects of life amid a suffocating blockade that caused a shortage of water, food, medicine, and fuel.

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the number of Palestinians killed since the start of the Israeli aggression on October 7 has risen to more than 11,078 people, including 4,506 children, 3,027 women, and 678 elderly individuals, in addition to 27,490 injuries.