Israel-Hamas war: After China, why Arab foreign ministers are visiting India

The Israel-Hamas war continues – it’s Day 47 – and there are huge developments. At a time when Israel has agreed to a four-day ceasefire with Hamas in exchange for 50 hostages, a delegation of foreign ministers from Arab League countries is set to visit India and meet with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Reports have stated that Saudi Arabia foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Jordanian deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ayman Safadi, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, and Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki will make their way to New Delhi and discuss the ongoing tensions in West Asia and a deteriorating situation in Gaza. What is the Arab League? What is their agenda for this meeting? We get you all these answers and much more. The Arab League, explained The Arab League, formally known as the League of Arab States, is a 22-member organisation founded to promote regional cooperation and resolve disputes. It was formed in March of 1945 with the broad mission of improving coordination among its members on matters of common interest. Initially, it had six members – Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. However, with the passage of time, it has grown to a grouping of 22 countries. According to its charter, the members agreed to seek “close cooperation” on matters of economics, communication, culture, nationality, social welfare, and health. They renounced violence as a means to settle conflicts between members. Interestingly, the charter of the Arab League has an annex on the issue of Palestine. It affirms Palestinian independence and states that “even though the outward signs of this independence have remained veiled as a result of force majeure,” an Arab delegate from Palestine should “participate in [the league’s] work until this country enjoys actual independence.” However, the League has been widely seen as toothless, as it has no mechanism to compel members’ compliance with its resolutions. This has led many to criticise the collective with NYU Associate Professor Mohamad Bazzi telling American think-tank CFR that the organisation is a “glorified debating society.” **Also read: How OIC-Arab League Summit on Israel-Hamas war exposed regional divisions rather than solidarity for Palestine** The Arab League’s stance on the war The Israel-Hamas war has put the focus back on Palestine and the world is looking to how the members of the Arab League respond to the situation. Earlier in October, the members of the League met in Riyadh and condemned the Israeli forces’ “barbaric” actions in Gaza. However, it stopped short of approving punitive economic and political steps against the country. The members of the League in its final declaration rejected Israeli claims that it was acting in “self-defence” and demanded that the United Nations Security Council adopt “a decisive and binding resolution” to halt Israel’s “aggression”. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the time had said that he “holds the occupation (Israeli) authorities responsible for the crimes committed against the Palestinian people.” “We are certain that the only way to guarantee security, peace and stability in the region is to end the occupation, siege, and the settlements,” he said of Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank. The collective has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in actions, the lifting of the siege in Gaza and the unimpeded access for humanitarian aid. They have also called for a relaunch of the peace process to enable the establishment of a Palestinian state, alongside Israel. India, Arab League and the war It is now being reported that a delegation of the Arab League will visit India this week to discuss the Israel-Hamas war. Their visit to New Delhi comes on their way back from China where they held discussions with China’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Speaking of their visit to Beijing, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said: “We are here to send a clear signal: that is we must immediately stop the fighting and the killings, we must immediately deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza.” He further stressed the need for international mobilisation and added that the resolution issued by the UN Security Council on 15 November calling for extended humanitarian pauses in Gaza was appreciated but insufficient. [caption id=“attachment_13416632” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi attends a family photo session with Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Jordanian deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ayman Safadi, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi, Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China. Reuters[/caption] Following their Beijing leg, the Arab League foreign ministers will meet S Jaishankar and take up discussions on the Israel-Hamas war. India has been pressing for more international efforts to diffuse the situation in the Gaza Strip and has been facilitating urgent humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine. Earlier too, members of the Arab League have engaged with New Delhi on the war. In October, S Jaishankar discussed the “crisis” with his counterpart from the UAE Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two foreign ministers deliberated on the evolving situation during a phone conversation. Following this, Arab League’s Ambassador to Delhi Yusuf Mohamed Jameel told Wion that he had got assurances from India that its position on the Palestine issue remains unaltered. “Our friends in India always assure us that the only solution is the peace solution, the two-state solution with borders of 1967, and this is the main issue,” he was quoted as telling Wion. India has strong ties with the Arab World. There are vital Indian investments in countries stretching from Oman and Saudi Arabia to Egypt, Sudan and beyond. Moreover, India has large expatriate community in the Arab world, who have, over many generations, contributed to the countries of their residence. Moreover, India’s total bilateral trade with the Arab world stands at over $162 billion, and covers a variety of goods and services, from oil to infrastructure and telecommunications to consumer goods. It is home to more than seven million Indians and caters to 60 per cent of India’s crude oil imports. India has been walking the diplomatic tightrope on the Israel-Hamas war. After condemning the 7 October attacks, dubbing them as ‘terrorist strikes’, New Delhi has called for the upholding of humanitarian law and pressed for the discussion and adoption of a two-state solution. With inputs from agencies