Pakistan Calls for OIC to Devise ‘Unified Strategy’ Against Israel
Pakistan has asked the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to work out a unified strategy over the escalating tension and old-timer conflict between Israel and Palestine. The appeal is the hallmark of Pakistan’s perennial stance on the side of the Palestinian cause and commitment to finding a peaceful resolution in light of international law and the various resolutions of the United Nations.
Historical Background and Stand of Pakistan:
Since its inception, Pakistan has always raised its voice for the legitimate rights of Palestinians. It has never spared any activity of the Israelis perceived to be against the sovereignty of the land. This is an altered stance that comes out of ideological and religious affinity between the Pakistani and Palestinian peoples and generally towards the just cause of human rights.
In recent years, the situations in occupied Palestinian territories have deteriorated, with frequent outbreaks of violence, settlement expansions, and the contentious status of Jerusalem further muddling the prospect for peace. These have created the urgency to produce a unified, coherent, and impactful response. Pakistan’s call for a unified OIC strategy reflects the urgency of effectively addressing such issues in a unified manner. On the role of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation:
The 57-member-state OIC is the umbrella body that unitedly raises the voice of the Muslim world and strives to protect the interests of Muslims the world over. Indeed, from time to time, it stood by the Palestinian cause for an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital; the OIC’s effectiveness has always remained questioned due to its member states’ internal differences and divergent foreign policy priorities.
Critical Elements of the Proposed Strategy:
Pakistan demands that a collective diplomatic effort be made to mount pressure on Israel to halt settlement activities, lift the siege over Gaza, and undertake meaningful peace talks; this would be done by working with key international players.
Economic Measures:
The new strategy could provide for economic sanctions or boycotts against Israel aimed at compelling compliance with international law. This may mean applying pressure through the financial muscles of various OIC member states.
Through greater awareness of this vital issue, the OIC can also step up efforts for a wider recognition of the Palestinian state by these and other international forums, including the United Nations. It ranges from working for full membership status in the United Nations for Palestine through the UN to implementing the relevant resolutions passed by it.
Humanitarian Assistance:
Pakistan calls for more significant humanitarian efforts to ease the painful living of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, more so in Gaza.
Islamabad’s call for the OIC to reach an agreement on a unified strategy against Israel underlines the need for such an acutely urgent, protracted, and multiform conflict; the immediate call for coordinated action concerning putting pressure at the international political level, exerting diplomatic pressure, and humanitarian support to achieve a just and durable resolution in compliance with international law and the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
