Israeli-Palestinian Conflict at Forefront of OIC Summit in Mecca

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit, held in Mecca overnight between Friday and Saturday, focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as a much-anticipated U.S. peace plan is set to be announced in the coming weeks. The OIC condemned the Trump Administration’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and urged member countries to take “appropriate measures” against states that move their embassies to the contested city. Similarly, the summit refused to accept any change to the status of the Israeli-held part of the Golan Heights following Washington’s decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over what the international community deems occupied land. The entity also condemned Israeli measures to undermine a two-state solution to the protracted conflict and refused to accept any peace proposal that does not align with Palestinian rights. The discussions at the meeting contrasted with the preceding Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Arab League conferences, which took place in Mecca the previous night and focused heavily on recent Iranian escalations against Sunni countries and the West.