Saudi Arabia, often regarded as the de-facto leader of the Muslim world, alongside its neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, reportedly played a significant role in opposing a proposal at the Islamic-Arab summit calling for the severance of all ties with Israel. The proposal aimed at cutting diplomatic and economic relations with Tel Aviv, restricting Arab airspace to Israeli flights, and using oil as leverage to facilitate a Gaza ceasefire, as stated by Ehud Ya’ari, the Arab affairs analyst at Israeli news platform Channel 12, according to The Times of Israel.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco, Mauritania, and Djibouti were among the countries that rejected the proposal, as reported by Ya’ari. However, Livemint was unable to independently verify this development.

The official communique released after the Islamic-Arab summit on November 11 did not provide details on the aforementioned proposal. While two delegates who attended the summit disclosed to Reuters that Algeria had proposed a complete cut in ties with Israel, other Arab nations opposed the move, emphasizing the importance of maintaining open communication channels with Tel Aviv amidst the ongoing crisis.

Originally slated to host the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting on November 11 and the Arab League Summit on November 12, Saudi Arabia opted for a combined summit in Riyadh on November 11 due to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, addressing the summit’s opening session, attributed responsibility to Israel for the “crimes committed against the Palestinian people” and called for an immediate ceasefire to resolve the crisis.

Notably, the summit marked the inaugural visit of an Iranian head of state to Saudi Arabia, nearly eight months after China brokered a truce between the two nations. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi urged Islamic countries to designate the Israeli military as a “terrorist organization.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan advocated for an international peace conference to address the Israel-Palestine conflict, emphasizing the need for a lasting solution rather than short pauses. The summit, attended by representatives from 57 Muslim-majority nations, featured Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s call for the OIC to hold Israel accountable for humanitarian atrocities.