Daily Trust Editorial of November 18, 2024
At the recent Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu joined other heads of states to call for an end in the war in Gaza, which had so far claimed thousands of lives and displaced thousands more. President Tinubu also called for an end to the “prolonged Israeli aggression’’ in Gaza. The president said: “The conflict in Palestine has persisted for far too long, inflicting immeasurable suffering on countless lives. As representatives of nations that value justice, dignity and the sanctity of human life, we have a moral obligation to collectively bring about an immediate end to this conflict.” The president further stated that: “It is not enough to issue empty condemnations… No political aim, and no security concerns should come at the expense of so many innocent lives.”
President Tinubu’s call for an end to the genocide in Gaza could not have come at a better time with millions of Palestinians who have been living under siege from Israel for over a year now. In that time, over 50, 000 Palestinians, mostly innocent women, children and the aged, have been killed in ceaseless bombing raids, artillery barrages and bombardment. Much of Gaza now lies in ruins as months of non-stop aggression by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have reduced hospitals, schools, places of worship, to rubble. Critical infrastructure necessary for logistics, supply of water and energy and sustenance of lives in Gaza no longer exist.
Taking the whole issue beyond the pale of human consideration, the Israelis had blocked and prevented humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinian victims of their aggression. Indeed, there were instances where human aid convoys and United Nations personnel were deliberately targeted and bombed by the Israelis.
We believe that the latest position of President Tinubu along with other Arab and Islamic leaders is timely and encouraging. This is especially as Israel has since expanded the scope of its aggression to include the West Bank and into Lebanon where thousands have been killed and rendered homeless. Again, in a dangerous escalation of the conflict, Israel and Iran have exchanged salvos of missiles sparking fears of a regional confrontation and possibility of a global one involving powers outside the region.
Daily Trust believes, as President Tinubu said, the issue at hand should move beyond condemnations. As the Middle East and indeed the world is inching towards a possible confrontation on account of the happenings there, it is time to pull back from the brink. The most immediate desirable action at this stage, when the conflict appears to be getting out of hand, is to end the war without delay.
It is a matter of deep regret that influential Arab states like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Gulf states have all this while tended to look askance while Israel carries on with its aggression against Palestinians, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
This is considering the fact that these states have the proven capacity to initiate the process towards getting Israel to stop its aggressive actions in the region. Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations can strongly take measures to influence and change the stance of the US and its western allies to stop fuelling Israeli aggression in the region.
As the world watches with horror the continued killing and destruction of lives and properties by the Israelis across the Middle East, no measure taken to end this senseless action would be deemed extreme.
Moreover, concerted actions of this nature are not new to the Middle East. We recall strong stance by Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal in 1973 in protest against the Israeli recalcitrance supported by America and the West, brought home the reality of the potential power and influence of the Arab world in global affairs, especially as regards to the Middle East question. We also recall that following the October 1973 war between Egypt and Israel which almost brought the latter to the point of deploying nuclear weapons, the United States compelled the two countries to begin secret discussions at the American presidential retreat of Camp David which resulted in a comprehensive peace agreement named “The Camp David Peace Accord” in 1977.
Similarly, there was the Oslo Peace negotiations between the Israel government led by late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian Liberation Organisation Chairman late Yasser Arafat.
All these initiatives can be built upon to begin constructive discussions involving all parties in the Middle East conflict to arrive at a comprehensive peace in the region within the two states.
It must be impressed upon Israel that it must abide by the two states resolution under which it gained legitimacy for its statehood in 1948 and allow the Palestinians also have theirs as provided by the resolution. Israel’s refusal to recognise and abide by this since 1948 is what forms the kernel of the Middle East question and comprehensive peace will continue to elude the region if this key issue is not resolved.
