Jeddah Islamic Summit: Maneuvers of International Legitimacy and the Limits of Confrontation with Israel

Arab Sea Newspaper - Special

Jeddah Islamic Summit: Maneuvers of International Legitimacy and the Limits of Confrontation with Israel Jeddah - Arabian Sea The emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers in Jeddah was not merely a gesture of solidarity or a political statement, but rather a systematic attempt to move from the circle of "condemnation" to activating the tools of international legitimacy against Israel: hinting at suspending its membership in the United Nations, pushing for collective recognition of the State of Palestine, and adopting Pakistan's seven-point plan as a practical roadmap. The First Strategic Dimension: Redefining the Rules of Conflict * The war in Gaza is no longer confined to a military-humanitarian scope, but has moved to the field of international legitimacy, where the battle of recognition and accountability is being fought. * The OIC seeks to create a broad voting bloc within the UN General Assembly that constitutes a political and moral lever against Israel. The Second Strategic Dimension: Indirect Pressure on Europe * The higher the level of anti-Israel legitimacy, the higher the cost of European silence. * The goal: to push European capitals to review their military exports and partnership agreements, fearing appearing as a "protector of Israel" in the face of a documented humanitarian tragedy. The Third Strategic Dimension: Internationalizing Recognition of Palestine * Turkey is leading the file of the "new wave of recognitions" of the Palestinian state, which may open the door to expanding full membership in the United Nations. * This strategy transforms recognition from a symbolic step into a negotiating tool that imposes itself on the international table. Secrets and Consequences 1. Turning Suspension into a Pressure Card: Even if the path to suspending Israel's membership fails, merely raising it creates reputational costs that threaten its investments and academic and commercial cooperation networks. 2. Arming National and International Courts: The Pakistani plan and the statements issued from Jeddah provide a legal basis for any European or international court that wishes to prosecute Israeli officials. 3. Repositioning the International System: Escalating the Islamic position may push the "Global South" to build an independent bloc that exerts pressure in the United Nations and imposes new balances in the Gaza negotiations. Strategic Conclusion The Jeddah summit is not the end of the war in Gaza, but it is a turning point in the tools of confrontation: from the field conflict to the battle for international legitimacy. The longer the war lasts, the more the political and economic cost will accumulate on Israel, and with it, the possibility will increase that Europe will find itself forced to reposition itself, while the door is opened for a wave of recognitions of the State of Palestine that will change the equation of the conflict for decades to come.