TEHRAN – Iranian President Masuud Pezeshkian spent a lot of time at a meeting marking the week of Islamic unity in Tehran, where he has made general remarks on how unity among Muslims is important and how unity benefits all Muslim nations in the region. But at one point he took a more solid, simple tone and called for local nations to do more than condemnation in dealing with Israel’s unidentified violence in the region.
Pezeshkian praises a statement by regional countries that condemned Israel’s 12-day attacks on Iran in June, but said the statement would not cut it. “We are grateful for the condemnation of Israel’s crimes by Muslim countries, but this is not enough,” the president told a room filled with officials and Islamic scholars. “We need to stand stronger, more solid and more united with the united front against Israel. Only then will we earn honor for ourselves. We all have a heavy responsibility.”
Israel launched a devastating war with the besieged Gaza Strip in October 2023, successfully penetrating the occupied territory by Palestinian resistance forces, resulting in the deaths and capture of many Israelis. So far, the government has killed more than 60,000 Gazans, destroyed homes, schools, mosques, churches and hospitals, and imposed fatal sieges on the territory. The fires of regime violence have gradually spread throughout the region, engulfing Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and, more recently, Iran. Meanwhile, the Israelites began to occupy new regions of Lebanon and Syria.
Apart from Iran and Yemen, most Muslim states have been trying to distance themselves from Palestinians over the past two years. Some, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Turkey, have been accused of providing weapons and oil to Israel during the war, helping to undermine the blockade imposed by Yemen in the Red Sea.
Ayatollah, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, seyed Ali Khamenei and said in a meeting with Iranian officials on Sunday that the regional state must cut off all economic and political ties with Israel. This is the second time a leader has directly called for such action since the start of the war. Other Iranian figures, including the president and the foreign minister, have repeatedly urged Muslims to cut ties with Israel through statements and direct communication.
The Muslim state’s inaction in the face of Israel’s actions against the Palestinians has been a prominent concern among the masses since the war began. Beyond religious solidarity that emphasizes mutual support with Muslim Brotherhood, pan-Arabism historically has encouraged calls for action against Israel. However, in recent weeks, fear and urgency have been reinforced with news articles and social media posts, demanding that Arab rulers take decisive action.
The fear stems from concerns that Israel once addressed a resistance axis, including Palestinians, Lebanese, Yemenis, Iraqis and Iranians. The regime is directed at establishing “great Israel.”
These new debates were sparked by a statement during a Hebrew media interview that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu felt that he had an “absolutely” connection to the vision of “great Israel.”
His remarks elicited anger from Arab countries, but the response was once again limited to words. Even after the controversy, some Arab rulers continued to work with Israel on a variety of issues. Saudi Arabia, for example, is reportedly working behind the scenes with Israel and the United States to disarm Hezbollah, Lebanon’s most important force against Israeli invasion for decades.
Israel recently announced that it is being discussed with several countries that it is being discussed with some countries that it will accept Gazan, a project the United Arab Emirates offered to support by promoting the relocation of Palestinians.
“The Arab rulers are helping Israel to defeat resistance, so Zionists can target us next,” said an Arabic user in X.