Arab Countries Oppose Measures Against Israel Despite Fighting in Gaza

Jerusalem, 11 November, 2023 (TPS) -- While member states blasted Israel’s invasion of Gaza, an emergency meeting of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Riyadh on Saturday without adopting any practical measures against the Jewish state.

Discussions focused on stopping Israeli air traffic over the skies of the Gulf, preventing the US Air Force to deliver arms to Israel through air force bases in the Gulf region, and cutting back oil sales to the US over Washington’s support for Israel, an Arab source told the Tazpit Press Service.

Other Arab countries demanded that moderate Arab states suspend their economic relations with Israel.

The source added that a resolution to adopt these measures was blocked by Israel’s Abraham accords partner states.

Voting against the measures were Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, which have diplomatic relations. They were joined by Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and Djibouti.

Israeli-Saudi ties were thawing before Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Gaza-area communities and killing 1,200 Israelis and taking more than 200 people to Gaza as hostages. The war has apparently slowed down, but not derailed, efforts to normalize relations between Jerusalem and Riyadh.

Israel and the northwest African country of Mauritania had diplomatic relations from 1999-2009 but they were frozen during the Gaza war of 2009. Djibouti, located on the African Horn, never had diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

An Iranian demand that the Israel Defense Forces be designated as a terror organization was also rejected.