Egypt to Host Emergency Arab Summit on Palestinian Issue
On Sunday, February 9, 2025, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Cairo will host an emergency Arab summit to discuss the grave developments concerning the Palestinian cause, set for February 27, 2025. According to an official statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, this summit was organized after extensive coordination between Bahrain, which currently chairs the Arab League Summit, Egypt, and the General Secretariat of the Arab League.
The statement clarified that the decision to hold the summit followed broad consultations with Arab countries in recent days, including Palestine, which formally requested the summit to address the recent developments posing a significant threat to the Palestinian cause.
In this context, Hossam Zaki, the Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, stated that the League is making intensive efforts to rally Arab and international support for the establishment of a Palestinian state. In local media statements, he highlighted that these Arab movements aim to counter the Israeli narrative and reinforce the principle of a two-state solution, emphasizing the unified Arab stance against any attempts at forced displacement.
Trump’s Controversial Statements on Gaza
These actions follow a wave of controversy sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the United States should take control of Gaza for its reconstruction, proposing to relocate its inhabitants to Egypt and Jordan. This proposal was met with outright rejection from Cairo and Amman, along with strong Palestinian opposition and widespread international condemnation. Critics described this suggestion as akin to ethnic cleansing and a violation of international law.
Netanyahu’s Provocative Statements on a Palestinian State in Saudi Arabia
No sooner had the dust settled from Trump’s suggestion than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignited further outrage by calling for “the establishment of a Palestinian state in the territory of Saudi Arabia,” blatantly ignoring the historical rights of the Palestinian people. These statements provoked widespread Arab condemnation, viewed as a flagrant provocation and infringement on Saudi sovereignty, attempting to impose a new political reality without any legal or moral basis.
Firm Arab Stances Against Israeli Statements
Netanyahu’s remarks were met with strong Arab condemnation. The Arab League, through its
Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, affirmed that a Palestinian state would only be established on
the territories occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, stressing that Israeli proposals are
mere illusions detached from reality.
Similarly, Jasem Al-Budaiwi, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, condemned these statements as a direct threat to regional stability, urging the international community to take a firm stand against Israeli attempts to impose solutions contrary to international law.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded statement describing the Israeli comments as a
blatant violation of international law, reaffirming full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and rejecting any
attempt at forced displacement of Palestinians, emphasizing that just and lasting peace can only be
achieved by ensuring Palestinian rights.
Iraq’s Foreign Ministry also vehemently condemned Netanyahu’s remarks, considering them a stark
violation of Saudi sovereignty and an assault on Palestinian rights, expressing Baghdad’s full support
for Arab state sovereignty and stability.
Kuwait, in its Foreign Ministry’s statement, reiterated its absolute rejection of Netanyahu’s statements,
standing firmly with Saudi Arabia and supporting the restoration of Palestinian rights, including the
establishment of an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
As the emergency Arab summit approaches, it is expected to issue decisive resolutions reflecting a
unified Arab position in facing the serious challenges threatening the future of the Palestinian issue
amidst escalating Israeli-American attempts at Palestinian displacement.
