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Abbas Stresses Need for Multiple Mediations to Achieve Peace

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, left, meets with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in the West Bank Town of Ramallah, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. (Atef Safadi/Pool Photo via AP)
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, left, meets with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in the West Bank Town of Ramallah, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. (Atef Safadi/Pool Photo via AP)
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Abbas Stresses Need for Multiple Mediations to Achieve Peace

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, left, meets with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in the West Bank Town of Ramallah, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. (Atef Safadi/Pool Photo via AP)
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, left, meets with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in the West Bank Town of Ramallah, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. (Atef Safadi/Pool Photo via AP)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that any new mediation to achieve peace must be multilateral, and must include the International Quartet and a number of Arab and European countries.

He added that he was relying on the German and French roles in the European Union, along with the United States, to achieve peace in the region.

Abbas’ remarks came during a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Wednesday in Ramallah.

He noted that the political process aimed at achieving peace was currently in “a severe predicament”, adding that he was committed to a culture of peace.

“We are committed to the culture of peace, despite the pressures we are facing, such as the issue of Jerusalem and the UNRWA funding; we reaffirm our fight against terrorism everywhere,” he stated.

Abbas renewed his adherence to the two-state solution and to the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital based on the 1967 borders, “so that Palestine and Israel can live in security and stability.”

“We count on the role of Germany and France through the European Union, and with the United States to reach a lasting and just peace in the region,” he said, addressing the German foreign minister.

“Mediation to achieve peace must be multiple from the quartet and a number of Arab and European countries,” he added.

Gabriel, for his part, said that the political process in the Middle East was going through a difficult stage.

“The decision of the United States on the city of Jerusalem was made out of the peace negotiations and this gives the impression that we are moving away from everything that was agreed upon in Oslo agreement,” he said.

Gabriel emphasized his country’s support for the two-state solution to ensure the establishment of peace in the region, adding: “There is no practical or other political option to reach peace.”

He also criticized the US decision to cut its aid to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

“It’s a bad thing, because we have to try to ensure that the conditions of refugees in the region do not worsen,” he said.

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Islamic Consensus in Istanbul on Need for Solidarity Against Israeli Escalation

A commemorative photo of the ministers and officials participating in the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council in Istanbul (AFP)
A commemorative photo of the ministers and officials participating in the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council in Istanbul (AFP)
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Islamic Consensus in Istanbul on Need for Solidarity Against Israeli Escalation

A commemorative photo of the ministers and officials participating in the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council in Istanbul (AFP)
A commemorative photo of the ministers and officials participating in the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council in Istanbul (AFP)

The 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in Istanbul, witnessed a clear consensus among member states on the need for unity and solidarity in the face of Israel’s ongoing escalation. This comes amid continued international silence on the violations committed in Gaza and Israel’s expanding attacks into Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.
 
In his opening speech, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stated that the world’s silence on Israel’s aggressive policies in Palestine has only encouraged its regional expansion. He asserted that the coming period will see a “much greater role for the Islamic world, which must become an independent global power.”
 
Erdogan urged Islamic nations to overcome internal disputes and unite in defending their common causes. He warned that Netanyahu’s “Zionist ambitions” could push the world into catastrophe, likening the threat to that of Adolf Hitler, whose ambitions ignited World War II.
 
Regarding Iran, Erdogan stressed that defending oneself against Israeli attacks is a legitimate right, stating: “There is no difference between an attack on Tehran, Istanbul, Makkah, or Madinah - they share the same fate.”

He also warned against attempts to impose a “new Sykes-Picot” agreement on the region. He added that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is worse than Nazi concentration camps, with over two million Palestinians struggling to survive under siege for nearly two years.
 
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who assumed the presidency of the session, warned that Israel is dragging the region to the brink of total catastrophe.
He stressed that the core issue is not about Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, or others. It is “an Israeli problem,” he said. He further called for a firm stance against the aggression and praised Egypt and Qatar for their ongoing efforts to mediate a ceasefire.
 
Fidan criticized the failure of international mechanisms, particularly the UN Security Council, in addressing the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.
 
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit also condemned any targeting of nuclear facilities in Iran, warning of severe humanitarian and environmental consequences. He said that expanding the war will not bring peace and stressed the necessity of returning to diplomacy, referencing past successful negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
 
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi condemned Israel’s violations of international law and sovereignty in its attacks on Iran. He called for restraint, a return to diplomacy, and praised Oman’s mediation between the US and Iran.
 
Closed sessions were held in Istanbul to discuss developments in Gaza and Iran’s nuclear negotiations. A special Arab ministerial meeting also took place, denouncing the Israeli aggression against Iran and calling for urgent efforts to de-escalate.