Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Israel has become a “rogue actor blinded by Greater Israel dreams” under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that its genocide in Gaza, efforts to annex the West Bank and destabilizing expansionist strategies pose grave risks to the region.
Speaking as chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers during the group’s annual coordination meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Fidan said two urgent risks confront the region: Israel’s genocide in Gaza coupled with its annexation efforts and forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank, and Israel’s calculated expansionism threatening regional security and stability.
He underlined the importance of OIC countries adopting a unified stance, stressing the need to halt all international arms and ammunition shipments to Israel. He also urged strengthening the legal struggle by ensuring that the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court serve as mechanisms to end impunity. Highlighting the momentum for recognizing Palestine, Fidan emphasized the importance of full U.N. membership for the State of Palestine.
Fidan said Israel’s crimes must be exposed before the international community and added that “Syria’s stability cannot be considered separately from the wider region’s stability,” stressing that halting Israel’s crimes in Syria is equally vital. He also noted that Syrians will need support from OIC members, especially in reconstruction, and warned of rising Islamophobia and racist attacks targeting Muslim communities, calling for a collective response.
