SA emerges crucial role in resolving Palestinian issue amid escalating conflict

ISLAMABAD, Oct 29 (DNA): The Special Representative to the Prime
Minister on Religious Harmony and the Pakistani Diaspora in the Middle
East and Islamic Countries, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, said
on Sunday that Saudi Arabia had emerged as a crucial player in finding a
solution to the long-standing Palestinian issue in a tumultuous region
marred by conflict and uncertainty.

In an exclusive interview with state-run media outlet, he said the
recent escalation in violence, exemplified by a deadly missile strike on
Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital just hours before President Biden’s visit to
Israel, underscored the urgency of addressing the Palestinian crisis.

Ashrafi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, said
For the Palestinians in Gaza, each passing day brought more suffering,
with a continuous toll of lives lost since October. Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s commitment to a potential ground offensive
on Gaza added to the tension, while journalists had become casualties in
targeted attacks, he added.

In a heartbreaking turn of events, he said Al Jazeera Arabic’s Gaza
bureau chief lost his wife, son, daughter, and grandson in an Israeli
airstrike on his home. He said the absence of foreign journalists in
Gaza amplified the courage of Palestinian journalists, who were risking
their lives to report on the situation in a region under Israeli siege.

Ashrafi said the Arab leadership, once poised for a new chapter in
Israeli-Palestinian relations and the prospect of a self-governing
Palestinian state, had witnessed Israel’s disproportionate response to
recent events.

He said the Saudis had taken a stand by informing Washington of their
decision to freeze normalized talks, as this gesture emphasized that the
Palestinian issue could not be dismissed in the pursuit of normalizing
relations with Israel.

He said Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the Palestinian issue had
primarily centered on regional stability and de-escalation. He said
worldwide condemnation of Israel’s use of force against civilians was
continuing to mount as Jordan’s Queen Rania Al Abdullah criticized the
West’s double standards in the conflict during an interview with CNN.

Ashrafi said Israel’s actions in the ongoing conflict seemed to be part
of a broader strategy to justify further territorial expansion into
Palestinian territories. Amid these developments, he said the Arab world
had rejected Israel’s suggestion for Gazans to flee to Egypt or Jordan,
fearing that compliance could lead to an expansionist agenda.

He underlined that permitting Israel to displace hundreds of thousands
of Palestinians could risk extinguishing the two-state solution forever.
In a meeting with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli and Russian
President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his
disagreement with the Western leadership’s support for Israel and
advocated for a diplomatic solution, he added.

Ashrafi said China’s efforts to mediate peace in the region had been
evident, with proposals for an international peace conference, including
the possibility of holding it in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He said China’s
commitment to impartial mediation was underscored by the presence of its
special envoy for the Middle East, Zhai Jun.

He said China had decried Israel’s retaliatory actions as violations of
international humanitarian law and condemned collective punishment of
the Palestinian people. Speaking about a long-term solution, he said
China’s top diplomat highlighted the need for justice for Palestine,
which had endured suffering for generations.

Ashrafi said Saudi Arabia’s role was pivotal in this intricate
diplomatic landscape. He said a recent statement from Washington
expressed a desire to resume the peace process after the conflict
subsides. However, the path forward depends on how the United States and
Israel could navigate current tensions without compromising the
Palestinians’ right to their land, he added.

He said the Islamic world looked to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman to convene a conference of leaders from the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to chart a long-term and sustainable solution
to the Palestinian issue. Under the guidance of King Salman bin
Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince was uniquely positioned to address
the Palestinian crisis, with the trust of Arab leaders and the Muslim
Ummah, he maintained.

Ashrafi said Saudi Arabia’s negotiations with Israel, facilitated by the
United States, underscored the importance of achieving concrete results
and establishing a sustainable two-state solution for the Palestinian
issue.

As Israel’s leadership leans rightward with reluctance to cede
territory, the Muslim world, along with China and Russia, could form a
formidable force to engage Israel and the United States in the pursuit
of a two-state solution, he added.

He opined that the OIC forum, under Saudi Arabia’s leadership, held the
potential to achieve this formidable objective.