Posted on 08/25/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has called on Islamic nations to pursue the suspension of Israel from the United Nations General Assembly, citing alleged violations of international law during the ongoing war in Gaza.
Speaking at an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Riyadh on Monday, Fidan accused Israel of committing "genocidal aggression" in Gaza and urged collective action to halt the fighting and support Palestinian statehood. He advocated for the Islamic bloc to initiate a campaign to revoke Israel's participation in UN General Assembly activities.
Fidan’s remarks were echoed in the summit's concluding statement, which called on OIC member states to assess whether Israel’s continued membership aligns with the UN Charter. The declaration proposed coordinated efforts to seek Israel's suspension from the global body, pointing to alleged violations of UN resolutions and the Charter’s principles.
Suspension from the UN requires a Security Council recommendation, subject to veto by permanent members, including the United States. However, Fidan and others at the summit highlighted a precedent in 1974, when South Africa was excluded from participating in General Assembly activities due to its apartheid policies, despite Security Council resistance.
This push comes as the International Court of Justice recently issued an advisory opinion questioning the legality of Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria and accusing it of policies amounting to apartheid.
The calls to suspend Israel stand in stark contrast to the continued participation of regimes with severe human rights records, such as Iran, North Korea, and Syria, in the General Assembly.
Despite these accusations, Israel maintains that its military actions in Gaza are aimed at dismantling Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the US, EU, and others, and ensuring the security of its citizens following the October 7 massacre that left over 1,200 Israelis dead.
President Donald Trump and the United States have continued to back Israel's right to self-defense, making any attempt to suspend Israel at the UN unlikely to succeed.