A positive outlook for the future of the Middle East was introduced by the Abraham Accords. Initiating official diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries, these normalization accords were signed in 2020 to promote peace and economic collaboration in ways that many people believed were unthinkable during our time. It appeared as though the region was about to enter a new era when talks about possible normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel started. This new era could bring the region together to counter common threats, particularly from Iran, align with US interests, create economic opportunities, and lead to peace between the Arab and Jewish worlds. Regretfully, the vision currently appears to be far distant from reality.
Saudi Arabia faces human rights criticism
The Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit was held recently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, when Arab leaders convened to discuss the current hostilities in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon. To put it mildly, the remarks made during the Summit were quite problematic. In addition to neglecting Israel’s urgent security concerns, it gave a biased account and did not refer to Hezbollah or Hamas, two Iranian proxies who have been attacking Israeli civilians for more than a year. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who urged Israel to “respect the sovereignty of the sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran and not to violate its lands,” essentially warned Israel against retaliating, but the Kingdom decided to completely disregard Iran’s provocations. The creation of a Palestinian state along the “lines of June 4, 1967, with east Al-Quds as its capital” was another demand made during the summit. The Western Wall and other locations of great historical and theological significance to the Jewish people would be located in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, which would once again be off-limits to Jews.
Key issues in Saudi human rights record
Additionally, the Summit accused Israel of “genocide,” reiterating Hamas propaganda when bin Salman asserted that they reject and denounce “the genocide committed by Israel against the brotherly Palestinian people, which has claimed the lives of 150,000 martyrs, wounded, and missing, most of whom are women and children.” In effect, such remarks call on Israel to reward terrorism by awarding Palestinians sovereignty despite the horrific death of 1,200 Israeli people by Hamas. They fail to take into account Iran’s unrelenting encouragement of terrorism against people since October 7, 2023. The summit did not encourage Hamas to accept a hostage agreement, hold the Palestinian Authority responsible for inciting violence, or demand that Hezbollah stop firing rockets at Israel since the crisis started on Oct. 8, 2023. The almost 900,000 Jewish refugees who were forced to flee their homes, belongings, and means of subsistence after Israel’s founding in 1948 were not mentioned, although it demanded restitution for Palestinian refugees.
Global pressure mounts on Saudi policies
The Summit deliberately disregarded the fact that Hezbollah has violated UN Resolution 1701 by placing weaponry and excavating tunnels close to UNIFIL troops, even though it called for adherence to the resolution. While ignoring the fact that Hezbollah has long taken advantage of the close vicinity to UNIFIL facilities, it also denounced Israel for attacking UN forces. Despite addressing the humanitarian issue in Gaza, the summit failed to take into account the well-documented diversion of aid by Hamas and its UNRWA allies, who resold it for a profit, allegedly totaling half a billion dollars. There are several problems. Normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel appeared achievable prior to this conflict. It seems that Saudi Arabia has decided to join the “axis of evil” by reestablishing relations with Iran in March 2023 under an agreement mediated by China.
Freedom of expression remains restricted
Bin Salman’s remarks did not outline a practical route to regional peace, and nothing about the summit represented a balanced viewpoint. Any workable solution needs to be reasonable and equitable and take into account each party’s rights. Israel is still dedicated to maintaining open communication and peace with its neighbors. However, it does not require human rights lectures from oil-rich Arab governments, particularly because these nations still restrict marriage and travel to male guardians and just let women drive as of 2018. Saudi Arabia has “ratcheted up” repression rather than implementing the UN body’s proposals to promote human rights. “Nothing but hot air” is how one report describes the Gulf Kingdom’s 2009 promises to the UN Human Rights Council. It also notes that the government is still using “arbitrary arrests and detention, unfair trials, torture, and other ill-treatment” to crack down on activists. “Tangible progress” had been achieved, according to a Saudi spokesperson. Riyadh criticized the UN Security Council for its failures in Syria and other crises and declined to accept a non-permanent seat on the council on Friday.