The circus of the emergency summit of OIC and Arab League
...while Israel, emboldened, escalates its military operations in Gaza and launches new airstrikes in Yemen.
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Now that the emergency summit of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) and of the Arab League ended, let’s review what happened in the last few days.
Last Sunday, 14th September 2025, just before the emergency summit convened in Doha (Qatar) following the Anglo-Zionist assassination attempt of Hamas political leadership in the Qatari capital earlier a week ago, Hamas sent a memorandum to the foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries, asking them to take a stance to end the Zionist genocide of Palestinians in Gaza with “a full political and economic boycott” of Israel, isolating it both “on regional and international level”, as reported in this Al Mayadeen article.
IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency) quoted Izzat al-Rashq, member of Hamas’s political bureau, as saying:
The war criminal Netanyahu is attempting to shift the battle to the region, seeking to redraw the Middle East and dominate it, in pursuit of mythical fantasies related to “Greater Israel” which places the entire region on the brink of explosion due to his extremism and recklessness.
…adding that the emergency summit of OIC and Arab League, described as “a historic opportunity to deter the occupation and isolate the Israeli regime”, should create a...
decisive Arab resolve to stop the brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip, lift the siege immediately, and protect the sovereignty of Arab states and their collective national security.
However, as reported by Al Mayadeen in another article, Arab and Islamic foreign ministers largely ignored the genocide in the Gaza Strip and focussed instead on Qatar’s security, described as “an integral part of Arab and Islamic national security”, during a closed-door meeting on Sunday. According to participants cited by Al Mayadeen, the foreign ministers described the Israeli strike on Doha as “a breach of international law and a dangerous escalation threatening Arab, regional, and international stability”, with Majed al-Ansari, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson, and Jamal Rushdi, spokesperson for the Arab League Secretary-General, saying that “the summit reflects broad Arab and Islamic solidarity with Doha”.
In a televised address at a preparatory meeting on Sunday before the summit, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, stated:
Israel must know that the continuous genocidal war against the Palestinian people, aiming at forcibly transferring them outside their homeland, cannot succeed, no matter what false justification is provided.
The time is now to stop the double standard and punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed and for it to know that the ethnic cleansing committed against the Palestinians will not be successful.
…as quoted by IRNA, which also reported the following statement by the OIC chief, Hissein Brahim Taha:
All the member states taking part in this summit are convinced that the Arab-Islamic cooperation must be cemented. Efforts must be uniform and united in the face of all these challenges.
It is also worth reporting that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders also held an extraordinary meeting in Doha yesterday (Monday 15th September 2025) to discuss potential responses to the Israeli strike on Doha. According to a statement released after the talks and cited by Al Mayadeen, the GCC considered “appropriate responses” and urged steps to activate the GCC’s joint defense mechanisms, though no additional details have been provided.
Yesterday Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking to the press ahead of his departure for Qatar to attend the emergency summit of OIC and Arab League, urged all participants to unite against Israel, as reported by Al Mayadeen, IRNA and Tasnim:
Israel, in the course it is following, recognizes no framework or prohibition for itself.
The Zionist regime recognizes no boundaries. It does whatever it wants, unfortunately, with the support of the United States and [certain] European states. They give legitimacy to the actions of the apartheid Zionist regime.
Islamic countries must enhance their unity and pursue these crimes at international and legal bodies.
If Muslims act as one hand, they will not dare to invade our countries and trample on international laws.
At the meeting itself, Pezeshkian doubled down:
This attack on diplomacy is more than a crime; it is a brazen and practical declaration that military power now prevails over law.
History will remember the crime of supporters of this aggression.
The Zionist regime has acted against our sovereignty and integrity, and we must stand up to it.
Unfortunately, the terrorists ruling Tel Aviv have grown more emboldened by the impunity they felt after a similar betrayal of diplomacy and the launch of an aggressive war against the people of my country.
In 2025, the Zionist regime has bombed several Muslim countries. Each of its attacks and acts of aggression is framed as “legitimate self-defense”, each time accompanied by Western double-speak and hollow condemnations.
There is no Arab or Islamic country outside Israel’s targeting.
The full text of Pezeshkian’s speech can be found here.
Here is a quick overview of other statements from the meeting (from Al Mayadeen):
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit:
The attack on civilians and negotiators is vile and cowardly, and boasting about it reflects an abyss of moral collapse.
Silence over crimes in Gaza has led the occupation to believe every act is possible.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani:
What is happening in Gaza and the West Bank is no longer a violation of international law but an unprecedented human ordeal.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II:
[The summit] must deliver a solution to lift the region from the Israeli threat, end the war on Gaza, and safeguard al-Quds.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi:
Security will only be achieved through respect for international law and the sovereignty of states.
The just and comprehensive solution [to the Palestinian problem] is to end the occupation and establish a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East al-Quds as its capital.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan:
The Islamic Ummah is capable of foiling Israel’s expansionist ambitions.
[Israel] has attacked Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Tunisia, and today it assaulted Qatar, pushing the region into chaos while pursuing genocide against the Palestinian people.
[Israel] will not stop unless faced with a firm response.
[We will] continue the struggle until an independent Palestinian state is established on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon:
[Israel] is obstructing all efforts for peace in the region.
Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh:
[The strike on Doha was] an attack on every Arab and Muslim, a flagrant challenge to international law.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun:
After the attack on Doha, the picture is clear and the response must be equally clear.
[Lebanon is] ready for peace if Israel truly wants it, on the basis of the Arab Peace Initiative.
All nice words. It is just a shame that, as expected, the OIC and Arab League emergency summit concluded with the usual word salad in the final declaration and did not promise to take any action against the Zionist entity, which will now feel even more emboldened. It did not even consider the idea, floated by Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, of establishing a “joint operations room” against Israel (as I reported here). It is no surprise, then, that the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the following statement expressing its own reservations, as quoted by Tasnim (all emphasis mine):
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful;
With respect to the final communiqué of the extraordinary Arab–Islamic summit on the Israeli aggression against Qatar, the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran wishes to clarify its position on a number of issues contained therein.
The Islamic Republic of Iran once again reaffirms its unwavering support for the inherent right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and strongly condemns the brutal crimes committed by the occupying Israeli regime against the Palestinian people.
The steadfast support of the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the Palestinian cause is undeniable, and our commitment will never diminish under any circumstances. Without prejudice to the above, the Islamic Republic of Iran wishes to register the following reservations regarding the final communiqué of the extraordinary Arab–Islamic Summit on the Israeli aggression against Qatar, convened in Doha on September 15, 2025:
Regarding a sustainable solution to the question of Palestine and initiatives proposed by various countries and groups of states, including the “New York Declaration” on the implementation of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, as well as the Arab Peace Initiative, which are reflected in several parts of the communiqué, the Islamic Republic of Iran stresses that the so-called two-state solution will not resolve the Palestinian issue. In our view, the only genuine and sustainable solution is the creation of a single democratic state, established through a referendum with the participation of all Palestinians, both inside and outside the occupied territories, representing the entire Palestinian people. On this basis, we dissociate ourselves from any references to this concept and similar notions (including East al-Quds, the 1967 borders, etc.) contained in the communiqué.
As for the recognition of the Israeli regime, Iran reiterates that joining the consensus on this communiqué should in no way, either explicitly or implicitly, be construed as recognition of the Israeli regime.
Concerning the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, Iran underlines that, like all peace-loving nations, the Palestinian people are entitled to use all necessary means to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and liberation from foreign colonial occupation. In light of the brutality of the occupying Israeli forces, nothing should restrict this right. It is also our collective duty, under international law, to support this cause. Accordingly, we underscore the need for a comprehensive approach that takes into account the interests and concerns of all Palestinians, and therefore we support any Palestinian national unity agreement that is achieved and accepted by the Palestinian people themselves.
Regarding mediation efforts and the role of the US, while the Islamic Republic of Iran appreciates the tireless efforts of Qatar and Egypt to achieve an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and to alleviate the immense suffering of the Palestinian people, Tehran underlines that the policies and actions of the US have, in practice, perpetuated and supported the acts of aggression of the Israeli regime against the Palestinian people. Given this reality, the Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the US cannot be regarded as a credible or impartial party in advancing a just and sustainable peace in this conflict.
We request the secretariat to record the reservations of the Iranian delegation in the final communiqué of the summit.
Although, it was quite a view to see “former ISIS terrorist leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani — who is now repackaged as Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, with a nice beard trim and a $1,000 suit to boot — meeting with Iranian officials”, “Jordan’s King Abdullah in attendance and interacting with folks he normally would shun” and Iran’s President Pezeshkian meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince2 (see here), as per former CIA analyst Larry C. Johnson, who described the event as “a conference of lions, lambs and jackals meeting to discuss how to stop poachers”, I am afraid that we are still far away from the moment when Arab and Islamic nations finally unite and rise against Israel. After all, it is worth pointing out that the only Arab and Islamic country that is clearly doing something in support of Palestinians and fighting for them was not there in Doha: Yemen.
Speaking of Yemen, last Sunday, 14th September 2025, the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) launched 4 drones against Israeli targets: 3 towards Ramon Airport and another one targeting a military site in the al-Naqab desert, as reported by Al Mayadeen, citing YAF spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree.
Israel responded this afternoon with 12 airstrikes targeting the port of Hodeidah in western Yemen, “supervised and used by United Nations teams”, as per Al Mayadeen. However, according to Saba (1 and 2), Yemeni “air defenses caused confusion among enemy aircraft, forcing some of their formations to leave airspace before carrying out their aggression”, thus thwarting the Zionist incursion.
While the OIC and Arab League emergency meeting was taking place, yesterday US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, thus reaffirming the Trump administration's unwavering support for its ally and sending an unmistakable signal to all Arab and Islamic countries in the Middle East. Actually, he went even further stating:
A nuclear Iran governed by a radical Shiite cleric that possesses not just nuclear weapons potentially but the missiles that could deliver those weapons far away is an unacceptable risk, not just for Israel, not just for the United States, but for the world.
That's why the president continues with a campaign of maximum pressure. There will continue to be maximum economic pressure on Iran until they change course.
…as reported by Al Mayadeen, which also quoted Netanyahu as saying:
The decision by President Trump to target the nuclear facilities of Iran was not merely a militarily wise thing to do. It was also a message to the entire world that the United States acts to defend its interests and defend its allies, and America has no better ally than Israel.
Notice the hypocrisy of both. Rubio says that just the “risk” of Iran possessing nuclear weapons and missiles is “unacceptable”, however he does not mention the fact that Israel does posses nuclear weapons3, does not allow inspections by the AIEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and is not part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
On the other hand, Netanyahu says that Trump’s decision to bomb Iranian nuclear sites was a message to the world that the Outlaw US Empire defends its interests and allies, but… what message did they send when they carried out an airstrike in Qatar, one of the main US allies in the Middle East? That nobody is safe in this crazy world, even if you host the biggest US base in the region!
As if the above was not enough, Little Satan (a.k.a. Israel) “launched a large-scale bombing campaign on Gaza City, escalating its assault on the besieged enclave just as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced strong support for its military objectives”, as reported this morning by Al Mayadeen, which quoted Rubio as saying:
We think we have a very short window of time in which a deal can happen. We don't have months anymore, and we probably have days and maybe a few weeks to go.
…before flying to Israel. Well… I suppose he meant “hours” rather than “days” or “weeks”, considering the recent escalation of the Israeli military operations in Gaza City, with airstrikes “flattening residential buildings, mosques, schools, and commercial sites, according to local reports” cited by Al Mayadeen and killing dozens of Palestinians.
Earlier today Netanyahu even confirmed a ground incursion into the outskirts of Gaza City, after intense Israeli airstrikes and the demolition of high-rises in the past few days, as reported by Al Mayadeen and Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth; however, according to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in Gaza, ground operations have been underway for weeks, with military units destroying some areas and then withdrawing, probably afraid of being ambushed by Palestinian Resistance factions. No wonder the Israeli “Defense” Forces (IDF) are using more and more unmanned ground and aerial vehicles, especially with troops refusing to increasing number of Israeli soldiers refusing to fight in Gaza!
It is interesting that yesterday Netanyahu admitted that…
Israel may find itself facing international and economic isolation
…though he then blamed others, rather than himself and his (Anglo-)Zionist fellows:
Hostile states are investing huge sums to influence debates on social media, putting us in a kind of isolation.
[There is] a tangible risk of economic sanctions and restrictions on importing weapons and spare parts.
Countries like Qatar and China invest heavily to sway Western media with an anti-Israeli agenda, using bots, AI, and ads.
You open your phone and you're bombarded, especially on TikTok. It's far more powerful than traditional media.
We are going to be a super-Sparta, we have no choice.
Israel would increasingly have to adapt to an economy that has autarkic characteristics.
Well… apparently, striking Doha with bombs and missiles was not enough, he also had to bomb Qatar (and China!) with words. The problem with his idea of Israel becoming autarkic is that it is completely unfeasible, considering that it is a tiny state with almost no local resources - in fact, according to statics on Trading Economics, Israeli trade balance has been always negative in the last 10 years, with an overall negative trend and a trade deficit of 3.518 USD Trillion in August 2025.
Today Al Mayadeen even reported that “Israeli stocks are on track for a five-day losing streak as the intensification of the war on Gaza triggers renewed investor anxiety”, with the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange 35 Index (TA-35) dropping as much as 2.3% today, “at one point recording the steepest losses globally, before recovering slightly to close down 0.2%”.
The Lebanese news media outlet quoted Hasnain Malik, a strategist at Tellimer in Dubai, as saying:
The costs of endless wars on all fronts in terms of lost growth, emigration of human capital, worse international relations, greater domestic political polarisation, and arguably, no better security all weigh on Israeli asset prices.
Netanyahu’s latest speech that urges preparedness for more economic autarky reinforces those concerns.
…while the Israel Business Forum, representing most private sector workers from 200 of the entity's largest companies, stated:
We are not Sparta — this vision as presented will make it difficult for us to survive in an evolving global world. We are marching toward a political, economic, and social abyss that will endanger our existence in Israel.
The Israeli economy shows exceptional resilience, despite the security and political challenges — but not forever.
The government must urgently put an end to the longest war in Israel’s history, promote the release of all hostages, announce a state investigation committee [regarding the Hamas-led 7th October 2023 attack], and set a date for elections in the immediate future.
Good luck becoming an autarkic state, Netanyahu! I am very sorry (actually not!), but you are not Vladimir Putin and your country is not a huge and rich of resources like Russia!
It is not surprising that his statements triggered a backlash in Israel, with Israeli Channel 13 describing the situation facing the Israeli regime as a “political tsunami” and reporting that countries once considered close to Israel, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan, are now moving closer to Iran and no longer view Israel as a reliable ally, while opposition leader Yair Lapid labeled Netanyahu’s remarks as “a crazy statement”.
And then, of course, there are protests by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which has now declared a “state of emergency” in response to the ongoing offensive in Gaza City, announcing the establishment of a tent encampment outside Netanyahu’s residence in occupied al-Quds (Jerusalem) “until Netanyahu listens and implements the people’s will, the immediate return of all hostages and an end to the war”, as quoted by Al Mayadeen:
Following reports of tank incursions and massive bombardments in Gaza City, [captives] families, terrified for their loved ones’ fate, spontaneously gathered in the late night hours outside the Israeli prime minister’s residence on Azza Street in occupied Al-Quds, crying out for the rescue of their loved ones and all hostages.
I will conclude this article with the following caricature from Saba:
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By the way, earlier today Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman received Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani at his office in Al-Yamamah Palace, as reported by Al Mayadeen.
See for instance this Fact Sheet: Israel’s Nuclear Inventory by the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation or GlobalMilitary.net.
Thanks for this interesting news, Ismaele. I have to say, Iranian remarks made the most sense to me. And hats off to Yemen, as always.
What you think, say,* feel, write*, and believe means nothing.
The only consequence is what you do.**
dennis hanna
*In a new report published against the backdrop of intensifying Israeli military operations in Gaza City, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, urged Israel and all countries to fulfil their obligations under international law “to end the genocide” and punish those responsible.
“The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza,” insisted Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission. “It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.”
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), B’Tselem, Physicians for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UN human rights experts, New York Times, Barack Obama, Hakeem Jeffries, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ariana Grande, et al.
**The Yemeni people, The Yemeni government