Pakistan’s Prime Minister in OIC’s emergency summit: Signals of solidarity or rift?

Pakistan is an active member of the Organization of Islamic Countries and an emergency summit was recently attended by its Prime Minister. In this summit, the Prime Minister of Pakistan assured Pakistan’s support and solidarity with Palestine, and also strongly criticized the role of Israel and America in this issue.

According to Pakistan’s News channel Geo TV, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on May 18 at this conference that Pakistan condemns the Israeli forces' brutality towards the Palestinian people, and that an independent and transparent investigation was required to probe the crimes carried out against Palestinians. In his statement at the seventh extraordinary summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), pertaining to the violence against Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli troops, Abbasi vowed that Islamabad stands fast in its support for an independent Palestinian state. The Pakistani premier also condemned the United States' move to shift its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He also put emphasis on that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) needs to work to have its strategic resolutions implemented in the Palestine-Israel dispute and put an end to the horrific abuse of human rights.

Why the meeting calling?

The extraordinary meeting was called by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his capacity as the chair of the OIC summit. It focused on the latest incidents of violence on the Gaza strip where more than 60 protesters were killed by the Israeli forces

This is the second emergency OIC meeting Erdogan has hosted in the space of half a year after the December 2017 summit, also in Istanbul, that denounced US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

What are the proposals?

After the conference a draft summit communique called for "international protection for the Palestinian people" and condemns Israel's "criminal" actions against "unarmed civilians." The text also accused the US administration of "encouraging the crimes of Israel".

Background

On Monday, May 14 the US officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as a new US Embassy opened there. May 14, this also coincided with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s founding. 

Palestinians are in their seventh week of protests at the border with Gaza, calling for the right of return to territory that is now part of Israel. They’re also protesting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which is suffering from a stifling Israeli and Egyptian blockade.

62 Palestinians, including five children, were killed and more than 2,700 wounded as the Israeli army fired live ammunition and tear gas at protesters who had assembled at 1949 armistice line between Gaza and Israel.

The protesters in the besieged enclave had gathered for Nakba Day - a commemoration of the events of 1948 when Zionist paramilitaries so called ethnically cleansed Palestinian cities and towns. About 750,000 people were forcibly expelled from historical Palestine.

Jerusalem now?

Though Israel’s parliament and the prime minister’s home are in Jerusalem, they sit in West Jerusalem, on the side of the city Israel has controlled since 1949. Israel captured East Jerusalem in 1967 and annexed that half of the city.  That half of the city also contains sites holy to all three major monotheistic religions, including the Western Wall, the holiest place in the world where Jews can openly pray, and Haram al-Sharif, Arabic for “the Noble Sanctuary,” a sacred site for Muslims that Israelis refer to as the Temple Mount.

OIC: home divided?

But there are large-scale differences in this 57-member organization. Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which are among the most influential and important members of this organization, have not been enthusiastic about this matter. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir attended Istanbul summit but not their heads of state.

However, as in 2017, disputes between the OIC’s key players, notably between Saudi Arabia and Iran, may prevent the adoption of any measures going beyond harsh rhetoric.

Saudi arabia, which appears to have softened its stance on Israel as the influence of powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has grown and its allies fear alienating the United States with tough measures against Tel Aviv. Saudi’s chief foreign policy preoccupation, shared with Israel, is ensuring US backing to contain Iran which both Riyadh and the Jewish state see as the main threat to regional peace. Egypt and Saudi Arabia distrust Turkey’s support for Islamist movements like the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, complicating any effort to take concrete measures against Israel.

Pakistan in a murky situation?

In current international conditions, Pakistan is stuck in very uncomfortable circumstances.  On one side where his oldest and most trusted ally USA appears to be standing with the Israel, On the other hand, Saudi Arabia, which is not only economic but also strategic and religious concerns,  important for Pakistan, indirectly, in this case, it appears closer to Israel and America.

After US retreating from JCPOA, Pakistan is also uncomfortable due to intensification of diplomatic connections between USA, Israel and Saudi Arabia against Iran.  Because on one side it wants to create a strategic alliance with Iran together with China and Russia, on the other hand Pakistan is not only an important part of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition led by Saudi Arabia, but also its former Chief of Army Staff, General Rahil Sharif  served this military alliance as its Commander-in-Chief, the world community believe that this military alliance is against Iran.

There is a growing proximity of Pakistan with Turkey. Pakistan's political and military leadership has visited Turkey frequently. Pakistan is showing trust in Turkey for military supplies. But Turkey's status has been questionable and conspicuous among Organisation of Islamic countries as well as its neighboring countries and Middle East region. Its role in fight against ISIS and Syrian Civil War is its direct evidences. In such a situation, Pakistan's desire for a trusted partner in the Middle East to be transformed into a problem; it’s just the matter of time.