Arab Efforts to Freeze Israel’s Participation in UN General Assembly Meetings

Arab League meeting (File/Asharq Al-Awsat)
Arab League meeting (File/Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Arab Efforts to Freeze Israel’s Participation in UN General Assembly Meetings

Arab League meeting (File/Asharq Al-Awsat)
Arab League meeting (File/Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Arab League Council at the level of permanent delegates called Thursday on the international community and the Security Council to intervene to immediately stop the mass genocide in the Gaza Strip, and to also prosecute Israel for its crimes.

The call was made at the extraordinary session of the league's council, chaired by Yemen (temporary presidency of the ministerial council) at the behest of Palestine.

The Council commissioned the Arab group in New York to begin with studying steps to freeze the participation of Israel in the UN General Assembly because it does not abide by principles of the UN Charter and poses threats to international security and peace.

Participants reiterated support of all measures and policies taken by Egypt to confront the consequences of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, prevent liquidation of the Palestinian cause and defend its national security which is part and parcel of Arab national security.

Egypt, along with Qatar and the US, play a role in mediating a truce agreement in Gaza. Cairo has repeatedly rejected the displacement of Palestinians to Sinai and promised to “settle the Palestinian issue.”

The Arab League Council also warned against Israel's ongoing use of excessive force in its occupation, describing it as a genocide against the Palestinian people.

It criticized Israel's refusal to abide by relevant UN Security Council resolutions calling for ceasefire and the International Court of Justice's binding orders to stop killing civilians and harming them physically and mentally.

The AL Council also expressed regret over the Security Council's failure to assume its responsibilities in implementing the immediate and effective ceasefire as stipulated in Resolution 2735, dated 6/10/2024, in a way that would facilitate the entry of relief and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

It called on the international community to exert pressure and implement punitive measures to compel Israel to halt its illegal annexation and settlement practices, which undermine the prospects for peace and a two-state solution.

The Council condemned the undermining of civil and economic powers of the Palestinian government in about 80 percent of the occupied West Bank.

Furthermore, it requested the General Secretariat to coordinate with member states to implement the decision of the Arab Summit held in Bahrain on May 16, 2024 to include the list of extremist Israeli organizations and groups that storm Al-Aqsa Mosque and are linked to Israeli colonial settlement, and contained in the report of the Permanent Delegates Committee on the Arab national terrorist lists and announcing the list of shame.

The Council then reaffirmed the categorical rejection of the plans of the Israeli government to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine.



Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)

A senior government official said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has warned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the “risks to Iraq” from the growing conflict between Israel and Iran.

The official added that Iran is using “deception” when asked to distance its allied militias from the war.

Political and government figures are increasingly worried that Iraq could be hit, after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a drone strike on the Golan Heights early Friday.

Speaking anonymously to Asharq Al-Awsat, the official said al-Sudani is taking steps to keep Iraq out of the conflict.

These efforts include ramping up “political mediation” to persuade militias not to involve Iraq. The prime minister “informed Coordination Framework leaders of the risks” and urged them to “act quickly.”

The official also warned that an attack is still possible, saying intelligence shows the Iraqi militias launched the strike from outside Iraq, using weapons that came from Iraqi territory.

Al-Sudani’s Mediation Efforts

The Iraqi premier has chosen mediators, approved by Iran, to negotiate with militias about the conflict and conditions for de-escalation. These three individuals have previously acted as mediators in past crises.

Last week, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that al-Sudani asked three key Shiite figures to intervene and prevent militias from getting involved in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, after reports surfaced that Israel had identified 35 Iraqi targets.

Sources confirmed that Ammar al-Hakim is among the mediators, along with two other influential Shiite leaders whose names haven’t been disclosed.

However, two Iraqi militias—likely the al-Nujaba Movement led by Akram al-Kaabi and Kataib Hezbollah led by Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi—have refused to cooperate and continue launching rocket attacks on Israel.

The Iraqi official admitted that some militias are “stubborn,” but stressed that al-Sudani knows Iraq is “at the center of the storm.”

He reportedly told leaders of the Coordination Framework, “Iraq cannot avoid a military strike if it happens, so we must stay out of the war to protect the country.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a Friday sermon, stated that “Iran’s allies in the region won’t back down,” increasing concerns that Iraqi militias tied to Iran will continue attacking Israel.

Iraqi sources also reported that the Coordination Framework has reviewed an “intelligence report” on dozens of Iraqi targets that Israel might strike or assassinate.

Government Efforts to Prevent Escalation

Al-Sudani has blocked the flow of Iraqi funds into conflict zones, unlike previous leaders, according to the official.

He has worked closely with the US and its Treasury Department to strictly monitor financial movements, often insisting that Iran uses official channels to claim its dues from Iraq.

The official also said global auditing firms are now helping Iraq’s central bank oversee financial transactions, shutting down all previous routes for illicit money flows.

Since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, the US told Iraq it pressured Israel not to strike Iraq, as long as Iraq stays out of the conflict, the official added.

The US doesn’t oppose Iraq’s stance of condemning Israel, supporting Lebanon and Palestine, and sending aid.

But it “won’t accept any financial or military support to militias.”

Regarding Iran’s role, the official said Tehran claims militias act independently, dodging responsibility for reining them in.