With Trump presidency on the horizon, Arab-Islamic leaders unite in unwavering support for Palestinian state

Riyadh summit urges suspension of Israel's UN membership as Israeli minister calls for annexation of West Bank

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Arab and Islamic leaders led by Saudi Arabia united in showing unwavering support for a Palestinian state on Monday and urged immediate ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, anticipating shifts under Donald Trump’s incoming US administration.

The summit in the Saudi capital took place amid Israel's continued rejection of a two-state solution, with one of its ministers calling on Monday for the annexation of more land through "sovereignty" over the occupied West Bank and further settlement expansion, and another rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state as a "realistic" goal.

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Donald Trump's election offers Israel an "important opportunity" to "apply Israeli sovereignty to the settlements", prompting immediate condemnation from countries including Jordan.

The summit held in Riyadh aimed to build on last year’s Arab and Islamic meeting on the same date, boosting efforts led by Arab countries to end Israel's wars, which have claimed tens of thousands of lives.

It came days after Mr Trump’s US election victory, with Middle Eastern political sources telling The National that the summit's primary focus is on advancing a unified strategy in preparation for the new administration’s January start. Diplomats in the region believe Mr Trump will seek a significant diplomatic achievement at the beginning of his term.

“We emphasise the necessity of establishing a Palestinian state and preserving Lebanese sovereignty,” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a speech during the opening session, adding that Riyadh "reaffirms its condemnation and utter rejection of the genocide perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinian people".

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly stressed that normalisation with Israel is off the table for as long as Israel refuses to support a Palestinian state.

The lame duck period in the US could have an impact on the Iran-Israel conflict. Last month, Israel launched strikes on ballistic missile manufacturing sites and air defences in Iran in response to an earlier attack on Israel, prompting expectations of further Iranian retaliation. For this reason, “the summit must unify its stance on key issues”, one Middle Eastern political source said.

In his speech, Prince Mohammed, whose country normalised relations with Tehran last year, stated that Israel must stop attacking Iran.

“We call on the international community to oblige Israel to respect Iran's sovereignty and refrain from attacking its territory,” Prince Mohammed said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian did not attend because of pressing "executive matters", an Iranian government statement announced, and First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref travelled to Riyadh instead.

"The American government is the main supporter of the actions of the Zionist regime," Mr Aref told the summit. "The world is waiting for the promise of the new government of this country to immediately stop the war against the innocent people of Gaza and Lebanon."

Not giving up

The devastating conflict in the Middle East was sparked by Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages being taken into Gaza. Since then, Israel’s assault has killed more than 43,600 in Gaza and 3,000 in Lebanon, where Israel launched a ground invasion. World leaders are increasingly calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, and a deal to release the hostages.

Leaders at the Riyadh summit demonstrated unwavering support for a Palestinian state, emphasising that the two-state solution remains the best path to peace in the Middle East, despite recent conflicts and Israeli claims that the idea is unachievable.

Israel has consistently rejected the two-state solution despite advocacy from Arab countries and western nations for an independent Palestinian state.

Newly appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected on Monday the establishment of a Palestinian state as a "realistic" goal, as Mr Smotrich told his supporters that Israel is "a step away from applying sovereignty to the settlements, and now is the time to do it", calling 2025 “the year of sovereignty" in the occupied West Bank, according to Israeli media.

The only way to remove the “danger” of a Palestinian state “is to apply Israeli sovereignty to the settlements", he added, revealing that he had instructed the Settlement Directorate of the Defence Ministry and the Civil Administration to begin preparing the groundwork for the annexation.

Meanwhile, in Riyadh, Arab League and Gulf Co-operation Council Secretaries General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Jassim Al Budaiwi demanded the immediate implementation of a two-state solution. “We will not give up on the existence of an independent Palestinian state,” said Mr Aboul Gheit.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Muslim nations to lead efforts to isolate Israel internationally, including calling for arms embargoes. Jordan's King Abdullah II advocated for Israel's siege of Gaza to be broken, while Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi warned that the region and the world stand at a crossroads and urged for the immediate implementation of the two-state solution.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati told the summit his country is enduring a historic crisis due to Israel’s war and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his call for the suspension of Israel's UN membership. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani urged the creation of a joint fund to support the reconstruction of Gaza and Lebanon, both of which have been heavily ravaged by Israel's war.

In their final communique, the leaders called for suspending Israel's membership in the UN and imposing sanctions against it. They also advocated for an arms embargo on Israel and called for a boycott of Israeli products and companies operating in illegal Israeli settlements.

The resolution emphasised the need for a timetable to establish a Palestinian state and reaffirmed strong support for the Palestinian people in achieving their rights, foremost of which is the right to establish an independent state. It also expressed support for Lebanon, its security and stability, and condemned the “deliberate” targeting of the Lebanese army. The summit also denounced Israeli attacks on Syria.

The Arab League, the African Union, and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation also signed an agreement to collaborate in support of Palestinian rights and the Palestinian cause.

Solution to the conflict

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan affirmed at the conclusion of the summit that the solution to the conflict with Israel is the establishment of a Palestinian state.

“The establishment of a Palestinian state is the solution to the conflict in the Middle East,” Prince Faisal told a media conference. “We are facing a difficult and important task that still exists, and it was and still is stopping the war” but “we will not tire of diplomacy", he added.

“We must not allow the international community to ignore Israeli crimes,” stressed Prince Faisal, adding that a ministerial committee of officials from Arab and Islamic states will continue advocating for an end to the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

When asked about peacekeepers in Palestinian territories, the Saudi minister stated that "any [posting] of international forces must be co-ordinated with the Palestinian Authority, and must be in both Gaza and the West Bank”.

Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, speaking to The National at the Paris Peace Forum on Monday, said he expects the US president-elect to favour a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Mr Trump has expressed the desire to end the Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah war, although experts caution that there is often a gap between political rhetoric and reality.

He has shown strong support for Israel's actions against Hamas in Gaza, but Mr Trump said in March that the war must end swiftly. Now that the conflict has expanded to a second front in Lebanon against Hezbollah, he could play a role in accelerating the peace process – possibly at the expense of Palestinian interests, experts suggest.

Mr Trump's popularity among the Israeli public could provide him with some influence over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly among his right-wing supporters. This could put Mr Netanyahu under more pressure to heed the Trump administration’s demands regarding the war.

“Formulating a unified position is crucial, as it remains uncertain whether Trump will allow Netanyahu to continue his wars freely or impose constraints on his actions,” said a second regional political source.