JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that all member countries of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) owe independence to the Palestinian people.
Speaking at the OKI Summit in Banjul, Gambia, Saturday 4 May, Retno reminded OIC countries about the Arab Peace Initiative and the OIC's decision that peace with Israel would only be possible if Israel ended its occupation of Palestine.
The decision gave Israel a strong message that without independence for Palestine, there would be no diplomatic relations. The message and decision must be maintained," Retno was quoted as saying by ANTARA, Sunday, May 5.
Responding to the genocide Israel has committed in the Gaza Strip by killing more than 34,000 Palestinians in the past seven months, he called on the OIC to unite to defend justice and humanity for the Palestinian people.
OKI countries, said Retno, must also continue to fight for the distribution of humanitarian aid to Gazans whose access has always been hampered.
"We must maintain humanitarian assistance for the people in Gaza in any way necessary to continue our support for UNRWA. Therefore, the agreed Islamic Financial Safety Net in OKI must be activated immediately," he said.
Retno also stressed that the OIC should continue to push for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
"The ceasefire will be a breakthrough in stopping the increase in lives and easing humanitarian suffering. It is also important to create a conducive environment for fair negotiations towards a two-state solution," he said.
OKI countries are also asked to prevent further escalation by focusing on handling humanitarian disasters in Palestine and not engaging in open conflict.
"We must ensure regional and world stability. The OIC union must contribute to peace, not exacerbate the crisis," said Retno, asserting.
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The message of unity conveyed by Foreign Minister Retno was very important when several OKI countries - Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco - were known to have normalized their relationship with Israel, which was against the principles of the OIC.
Meanwhile Saudi Arabia, which had opened up opportunities for diplomatic relations with Israel, threatened to remove the opportunity if Israel attacked Rafah City, where 1.2 million Gazans sought refuge from armed conflict in the Palestinian enclave.
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