Zarif: The rapprochement of some Arab countries with Israel is shameful

Iran's Foreign Minister emphasized the continued support of the Islamic Republic of Iran for Palestine, describing the rapprochement of some Arab countries with Israel as 'shameful.' According to Iranian media, Mohammad Javad Zarif stated on Monday, March 8, during a speech at an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Indonesia, 'Despite knowing that the pressures imposed on Iran in recent decades have been a result of our support for the Palestinian cause, we will continue this policy.' The fifth emergency meeting of the 57 members of the OIC is being held in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the request of Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, with the aim of 'uniting to achieve a just and lasting solution' for the 'Palestinian issue and the holy city of Jerusalem.' Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, holds the rotating presidency of this organization. Mahmoud Abbas emphasized that the crisis facing the Palestinians requires intervention from the member countries of the OIC and the international community, and the Palestinian issue and Al-Aqsa Mosque must be returned to the forefront of global issues. In his speech on Monday in Jakarta, Zarif stated, 'We must be able to fulfill our promises regarding the Palestinian issue and the holy city of Jerusalem, and although we are facing various issues, nothing should divert our attention from the main issue and the philosophy of the existence of the OIC.' According to the Iranian Foreign Minister, 'An increasing number of state and non-state actors are distancing themselves from unwavering support for Israel and its brutal policies, and this creates a new responsibility for us.' According to Fars News Agency, after his speech at the Jakarta summit, Zarif also told reporters present at the conference, 'In an era when for the first time the Zionist regime is seriously under attack in the West and Western NGOs are taking a stance against the crimes of this regime, it is shameful that some Islamic countries are compensating for the Western attacks on the Zionist regime by getting closer to it.' Zarif's remarks refer to the increasing criticisms among some European countries regarding the policies of the current Israeli government and the emergence of some calls for sanctions and isolating Israel. Zarif's implicit reference also points to the actions of some Arab countries and comments that have mainly been made in this regard by Israeli officials. Yuval Steinitz, Israel's Energy Minister, who recently visited Abu Dhabi, stated that they have secret relations with some Arab countries, and concerns about Iran's rise have brought these countries closer to Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister, and Moshe Ya'alon, Israel's Minister of Security, have recently stated that the shared views of some Arab countries in the region with Israel have increased, and they no longer consider Israel their enemy, viewing Iran and its allies as a threat. Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, Iran has referred to Israel as an 'illegitimate Zionist regime' and a 'cancerous tumor,' and in recent years, hostilities between Israel and Iran over Iran's nuclear programs have reached a point where both countries refer to each other as 'enemies.' Among Arab countries, only Egypt and Jordan have diplomatic relations with Israel at the ambassadorial level, which, despite its long history, remains at a governmental level and is a cold peace. According to the Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu stated last month in a speech at the annual conference of American Jewish organizations in Jerusalem, 'The time has come for our expectation of establishing some connections between Israel and the Arab governments in the region to be realized, and these connections should be public.'