Hamas leader’s killing risks ‘wider conflict,’ OIC chair warns

OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha and Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara attend the OIC summit on Wednesday. (OIC)
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OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha and Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara attend the OIC summit on Wednesday. (OIC)
Hamas leader’s killing risks ‘wider conflict,’ OIC chair warns
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Updated 08 August 2024
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Hamas leader’s killing risks ‘wider conflict,’ OIC chair warns

OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha and Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara attend the OIC summit on Wednesday. (OIC)
  • Saudi deputy FM condemned Haniyeh’s assassination as a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its territorial integrity”
  • Death of Ismail Haniyeh ‘will not quell the Palestinian cause,’ Mamadou Tangara says

RIYADH: The assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh risks tipping the Middle East into a “wider conflict,” the chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation said on Wednesday.

Speaking at an extraordinary meeting for the foreign ministers of member states, Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara said the killing served only to “escalate the existing tensions potentially leading to a wider conflict that could involve the entire region.”

Haniyeh’s death “will not quell the Palestinian cause but rather it amplifies it, underscoring the urgency for justice and human rights for the Palestinian people,” Tangara, whose country currently chairs the OIC, said.

“The sovereignty and territorial integrity of nation states are fundamental principles underpinning the international order. Respecting these principles has profound implications and their violation equally carries significant consequences,” he said.

OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha condemned Haniyeh’s killing and the “genocide committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank,” and Jerusalem.

He called on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities and take the necessary measures to compel Israel to respect the rule of international law and stop its aggression and attacks that threaten regional and international peace and security.

Taha said that the council should demand an immediate and comprehensive cessation of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip in order to avoid the risk of full-scale regional war that would undermine the security and stability of the entire Middle East.

He stressed the need for joint efforts to compel Israel to abide by international legitimacy resolutions and said that the necessary measures should be taken to implement the recent advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice regarding the illegality of the Israeli occupation.

Taha condemned the Israeli Knesset’s resolution rejecting Palestinian statehood and its designation of UNRWA as a terrorist organization. He also called for the provision of more political and financial support to UNRWA’s budget so that it can exercise its vital role in providing basic services to Palestinian refugees and contribute to alleviating the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Taha called on key players in the international community to sponsor a political process to end Israeli occupation and achieve peace based on the vision of the two-state solution in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.




Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji attends the OIC meeting on Wednesday. (SPA)

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji attended the meeting on behalf of Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He told the summit that his government was aware of the danger of the escalating events in the Palestinian territories due to Israeli attacks and illegal practices against Palestinians inside and outside them.

He also condemned Haniyeh’s assassination as a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, its territorial integrity and national security, international law and the Charter of the United Nations and constitutes a threat to regional peace and security.”

Al-Khuraiji said the Kingdom condemned Israeli attacks against civilians and rejected any attack on the sovereignty of states or interference in the internal affairs of any state, in accordance with international conventions and the OIC Charter.

He expressed the Kingdom’s deep concern over the escalation of Israeli violations which have resulted in large numbers of dead and wounded civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, shortages of food, medicine and fuel and the destruction of the health sector.

He also renewed the Kingdom’s call for the international community to take effective action to hold Israeli forces fully responsible for their crimes and violations.

The Kingdom supported all efforts aimed at ending the occupation of the Palestinian territories and reaching a comprehensive solution that enabled people to establish an independent Palestinian state in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, Al-Khuraiji said.

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No Saudi-Israeli normalization without Palestinian state — Prince Turki

No Saudi-Israeli normalization without Palestinian state — Prince Turki
Updated 14 September 2024
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No Saudi-Israeli normalization without Palestinian state — Prince Turki

No Saudi-Israeli normalization without Palestinian state — Prince Turki
  • Kingdom has led the way in trying to resolve conflict, ex-intelligence chief says
  • West has not done enough to pressure Israel; ‘simply harsh talk’ has ‘gotten us nowhere’

LONDON: There will be no normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel until an independent Palestinian state is established, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former head of the Kingdom’s intelligence services, has warned. 

During a talk at London-based think tank Chatham House, the former Saudi ambassador to the US also discussed Washington’s role in the peace process as the Gaza war approaches its first anniversary, and how talks before the outbreak of hostilities had been broadly positive.

He said the US is keen on the resumption of talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia to strengthen regional security and to forge economic ties, but Riyadh’s position is that “if there’s a Palestinian state that Israel accepts to come (into) existence, then we can talk about normalization with Israel.”

The prince added: “Before Oct. 7 … talks not only progressed along those lines, but also the Kingdom invited a Palestinian delegation to come and talk directly to the Americans about what it is that might bring about a Palestinian state.

“I’m not privy to those talks so I don’t know what happened between the Palestinians and the Americans, but the Kingdom’s position has always been we won’t speak for the Palestinians. They have to do it for themselves. Unfortunately, of course, the Oct. 7 (Hamas attack against Israel) put an end to those talks.”

Prince Turki said the establishment of a Palestinian state is not only crucial for Israeli ties with Saudi Arabia but with the rest of the Muslim world as well.

“A Palestinian state is a primary condition for Saudi Arabia to have normalization with Israel, but … on the Israeli side, the whole government is saying no Palestinian state,” he added.

Prince Turki said for Saudi Arabia, an independent Palestine would encapsulate the 1967 borders, including East Jerusalem.

He added that the Kingdom has led the way in trying to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict, citing the 1981 King Fahd Peace Plan and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative proposed by King Abdullah.

During the current Gaza war, “the Kingdom led the Muslim world, and not only summits with the Arabs but with the (rest of the) Muslim world, and also … the diplomatic missions that have been taking place to convince the world that there must be an end to the fighting, led by the Saudi foreign minister,” Prince Turki said.

“The Kingdom has been in the forefront of condemning the Israeli onslaught on the Palestinians, not just in Gaza but equally in the West Bank.”

He criticized the US and other Western nations for not applying more pressure on Israel to end the war, citing how the UK had only recently begun to suspend certain arms export licenses to Israel following the election of a new government in July.

“I’d like to see more done by the UK,” he said. “I think, for example, the UK … should recognize the state of Palestine. It’s long overdue.”

Prince Turki said the US could apply direct pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the actions of his government and military, and should address funding and lobbying by groups and individuals sympathetic to Israel.

“I think the US has enormous tools to affect Israel which it isn’t using, not just simply … denial of supply of weapons and material to the Israelis,” the prince added.

“A lot of financial help goes to Israel from the US. If some of the privileges that (the) Israeli lobby, for example, in America, enjoys — of tax-free contributions to Israel — can be withdrawn from those Israeli lobbyists, that will (put) great pressure on Israel.”

In the US, “you have to register as a lobbyist for a specific country, or be prosecuted, if you want to talk for that country, but a lot of organizations in America do that for Israel and still enjoy a tax-free status because they’re considered not representing Israel per se, but simply as philanthropic or humanitarian groupings,” he said.

“There are many tools that are available to the US, not simply harsh talk, which seems to have gotten us nowhere. But is America ready to do that? As I said, I’m not too optimistic about that.”


Saudi Arabia presents space advances at G20 meeting in Brazil

Saudi Arabia presents space advances at G20 meeting in Brazil
Updated 14 September 2024
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Saudi Arabia presents space advances at G20 meeting in Brazil

Saudi Arabia presents space advances at G20 meeting in Brazil
  • This year’s meeting, initiated during Saudi Arabia’s G20 presidency, focused on “Space Economy and Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities.”

RIYADH: Saudi Space Agency Vice Chairman and CEO Mohammed Al-Tamimi led the Saudi delegation at the fifth G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, from Sept. 11 to 13.

This year’s meeting, initiated during Saudi Arabia’s G20 presidency, focused on “Space Economy and Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities.”

Al-Tamimi highlighted Saudi Arabia’s advances in its space sector and the Kingdom’s commitment to using space technology for sustainable development and climate change mitigation.

He engaged in discussions on innovation, entrepreneurship and climate change, showcasing the Saudi Space Agency’s efforts to improve infrastructure, attract investment and apply space technology for sustainable development.

Saudi Arabia signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Brazilian Space Agency to enhance peaceful space exploration collaboration.

Al-Tamimi also held meetings with his Brazilian and Indian counterparts to discuss space economy cooperation and explored investment opportunities with leaders of Brazilian space companies.


No Saudi-Israeli normalization without Palestinian state: Prince Turki

No Saudi-Israeli normalization without Palestinian state: Prince Turki
Updated 14 September 2024
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No Saudi-Israeli normalization without Palestinian state: Prince Turki

No Saudi-Israeli normalization without Palestinian state: Prince Turki
  • Ex-intelligence chief: Kingdom has led the way in trying to resolve conflict
  • West has not done enough to pressure Israel; ‘simply harsh talk’ has ‘gotten us nowhere’

LONDON: There will be no normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel until an independent Palestinian state is established, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former head of the Kingdom’s intelligence services, has warned. 

During a talk at London-based think tank Chatham House, the former Saudi ambassador to the US also discussed Washington’s role in the peace process as the Gaza war approaches its first anniversary, and how talks before the outbreak of hostilities had been broadly positive.

He said the US is keen on the resumption of talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia to strengthen regional security and to forge economic ties, but Riyadh’s position is that “if there’s a Palestinian state that Israel accepts to come (into) existence, then we can talk about normalization with Israel.”

The prince added: “Before Oct. 7 … talks not only progressed along those lines, but also the Kingdom invited a Palestinian delegation to come and talk directly to the Americans about what it is that might bring about a Palestinian state.

“I’m not privy to those talks so I don’t know what happened between the Palestinians and the Americans, but the Kingdom’s position has always been we won’t speak for the Palestinians. They have to do it for themselves. Unfortunately, of course, the Oct. 7 (Hamas attack against Israel) put an end to those talks.”

Prince Turki said the establishment of a Palestinian state is not only crucial for Israeli ties with Saudi Arabia but with the rest of the Muslim world as well.

“A Palestinian state is a primary condition for Saudi Arabia to have normalization with Israel, but … on the Israeli side, the whole government is saying no Palestinian state,” he added.

Prince Turki said for Saudi Arabia, an independent Palestine would encapsulate the 1967 borders, including East Jerusalem.

He added that the Kingdom has led the way in trying to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict, citing the 1981 King Fahd Peace Plan and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative proposed by King Abdullah.

During the current Gaza war, “the Kingdom led the Muslim world, and not only summits with the Arabs but with the (rest of the) Muslim world, and also … the diplomatic missions that have been taking place to convince the world that there must be an end to the fighting, led by the Saudi foreign minister,” Prince Turki said.

“The Kingdom has been in the forefront of condemning the Israeli onslaught on the Palestinians, not just in Gaza but equally in the West Bank.”

He criticized the US and other Western nations for not applying more pressure on Israel to end the war, citing how the UK had only recently begun to suspend certain arms export licenses to Israel following the election of a new government in July.

“I’d like to see more done by the UK,” he said. “I think, for example, the UK … should recognize the state of Palestine. It’s long overdue.”

Prince Turki said the US could apply direct pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the actions of his government and military, and should address funding and lobbying by groups and individuals sympathetic to Israel.

“I think the US has enormous tools to affect Israel which it isn’t using, not just simply … denial of supply of weapons and material to the Israelis,” the prince added.

“A lot of financial help goes to Israel from the US. If some of the privileges that (the) Israeli lobby, for example, in America, enjoys — of tax-free contributions to Israel — can be withdrawn from those Israeli lobbyists, that will (put) great pressure on Israel.”

In the US, “you have to register as a lobbyist for a specific country, or be prosecuted, if you want to talk for that country, but a lot of organizations in America do that for Israel and still enjoy a tax-free status because they’re considered not representing Israel per se, but simply as philanthropic or humanitarian groupings,” he said.

“There are many tools that are available to the US, not simply harsh talk, which seems to have gotten us nowhere. But is America ready to do that? As I said, I’m not too optimistic about that.”


Riyadh festival pays tribute to ‘father of chemistry’

Riyadh festival pays tribute to ‘father of chemistry’
Updated 14 September 2024
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Riyadh festival pays tribute to ‘father of chemistry’

Riyadh festival pays tribute to ‘father of chemistry’

Riyadh: Jabir ibn Hayyan, a renowned Muslim scientist, is known as the “father of chemistry” for his pioneering contributions.

Born in 721, he discovered key chemical compounds still used today.

The 2024 STEAM Festival at King Salman Science Oasis in Riyadh is highlighting the early scientist’s life and legacy, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

Running until Sept. 30 under the theme “Fun Chemistry,” the festival offers educational, informative, and entertaining experiences.

Ibn Hayyan’s innovations, such as distillation, greatly advanced chemistry in both the Islamic world and the West. His works, translated into Latin, spread knowledge widely.

Notable discoveries include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, gold water, and silver nitrate. He also explored practical uses, such as steel production, waterproofing, and creating artificial pearls.

Scholar Ibn Khaldun praised him as “the imam of chemistry writers,” and chemistry was sometimes called “the science of Jabir.”

The festival aims to instill pride in Saudi Arabia’s scientific heritage and align with future goals.

It features 100 workshops, panel discussions, live shows, and interactive exhibits across STEAM fields, exploring past, present, and future science and technology.

The event showcases local innovations, sustainable practices, and modern technologies, reflecting the Kingdom’s dedication to scientific progress.

With over 25 pavilions, the festival covers the history of chemistry, petrochemical innovations, environmental challenges, and sustainable solutions tied to Vision 2030.


COP29 president calls for united action on climate finance goals

COP29 president calls for united action on climate finance goals
Updated 14 September 2024
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COP29 president calls for united action on climate finance goals

COP29 president calls for united action on climate finance goals
  • ‘We still risk falling short,’ Mukhtar Babayev warns after Baku talks

Mukhtar Babayev, president of COP29, has called for global unity as the world approaches a critical turning point in climate change negotiations.

Speaking during discussions in the Azerbaijan capital Baku, Babayev said that talks are now approaching a “more focused dialogue” on collective climate finance.

“The conclusion of the final meeting of the ad hoc work program marks the beginning of the end,” Babayev said, indicating a shift toward a framework that will guide discussions leading up to COP29. 

In addition, the president also expressed his belief that a comprehensive draft negotiating text could be developed as the foundation for the COP29 presidency’s final phase.

This preparation is crucial, as nations strive to achieve a new goal in climate finance that aligns with the urgent demands of the environmental crisis, he said. 

“We have full confidence in the co-chairs of the ad hoc work program as they now develop a substantive framework for a draft negotiating text. This substantive framework will serve as the basis for the COP29 presidency’s final period of intensive political and technical engagements as we prepare to nail down a deal on a new climate finance goal at COP29,” Babayev said.

However, the president also warned that the road ahead would be full of challenges that will require persistence and cooperation from all countries involved.

“We are on the right track and have come a long way, but we still risk falling short. Determination and leadership is needed from all parties to bridge the gaps that still divide us in this critical final phase. Everyone now needs to take ownership of finding an agreement.

“Sticking to set positions and failing to move toward each other will leave too much ground to be covered at COP29,” he said, adding that the stakes have never been higher.

Babayev said that billions of people worldwide are counting on leaders to deliver climate finance on a scale that is equal to the urgency of the climate change crisis.

“We will spare no effort to deliver a fair and ambitious new goal in Baku at COP29,” he said.

As the COP29 presidency prepares for the final negotiations in November, the world is watching as leaders discuss obligatory finance to combat climate change, and reduce its effects on vulnerable countries.