Foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries gathered in Jordan on August 5 and 6 to issue yet another series of condemnations of Israel. Reading their statements, one could easily conclude that there is only one party responsible for violence, instability, and suffering in the Middle East: Israel.
Hamas? Barely relevant. The Hamas-led October 7, 2023 massacre? Apparently not worth mentioning. Palestinian terrorism and incitement against Israel? Not on the agenda. The need to dismantle Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups? Evidently not a priority.
What about Iran, the principal sponsor of Islamist terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East? What about Hezbollah, which joined the war against Israel immediately after October 7? What about the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, who have launched missiles and attack drones into Saudi Arabia and Israel, and attacked international shipping?
Evidently, they too are not worthy of the ministers’ attention.
There was no condemnation of Iran and its network of terrorist proxies, even though they have all played, and continue to play, a major role in destabilizing the Middle East and turning several Arab countries into arenas for Tehran’s regional ambitions. There was no demand that Hezbollah surrender its weapons to the Lebanese army. No demand that the Houthis halt their attacks. No demand that Iran stop funding, arming, and supporting terrorist groups dedicated to attacking Israel and undermining Arab states.
Instead, once again, the messaging coming from Arab and Islamic countries was clear: the problem is Israel.
This selective outrage is not merely hypocritical; it is dangerous. By concentrating their attacks on Israel while largely ignoring Iran and Islamist terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, Arab and Islamic governments are reinforcing the extremists’ narrative that Israel, rather than jihadist terrorism and Iranian interference, is the principal source of instability in the Middle East.
The foreign ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt accused Israel of “violating” international law and undermining efforts to implement the Board of Peace’s recently published “Roadmap for Completing the Implementation of President Trump’s Comprehensive Peace Plan in Gaza.” They also called for those responsible for “grave violations” to be held accountable.
The ministers forgot to mention that Hamas, by refusing to disarm and continuing to hold on to power in the Gaza Strip, is the party committing “grave violations.”
If accountability is important, why does it apply only to Israel?
Where is the demand to hold Hamas accountable for the October 7, 2023 massacre, when Hamas terrorists and other Palestinians invaded Israel, murdered 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, wounded thousands more, and kidnapped 251 men, women and children, dragging some of them into the Gaza Strip as hostages? Where is the demand that Hamas be held accountable for bringing death and destruction upon the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip by launching its invasion of Israel?
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The ministers warned that Israeli actions could undermine the second phase of US President Donald J. Trump’s 20-point peace plan for the Gaza Strip. According to their own statement, this phase includes provisions concerning the collection of weapons from Hamas and other Palestinian factions.
Why not issue a clear demand that Hamas surrender all its weapons? The omission is especially disturbing because three of the countries represented in the statement – Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan – are members of Trump’s Board of Peace and are supposedly helping to bring security and stability to the Gaza Strip.
How can anyone be expected to trust these countries when their governments participate in meetings and statements that condemn Israel while failing to demand that Hamas disarm unconditionally?
If Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan want to play a constructive role in the Gaza Strip, they should start by telling Hamas publicly: “The game is over. Hand over your weapons, dismantle your military and security apparatuses, and relinquish control of the Gaza Strip.”
