House Strongly Condemns Israel’s Settlement Expansion, Displacement of Palestinians
The Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday, strongly condemning and rejecting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments on a plan to ally with India and other countries to counter Muslim states.
The resolution expressed concern over what it described as provocative narratives that threaten the unity of the Muslim Ummah.
The resolution was passed in response to comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu during a cabinet meeting on Sunday ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tel Aviv, which said that Israel “will create a complete system – essentially a kind of hexagon of alliances – around or within the Middle East.”
Modi will arrive on Wednesday and will deliver a speech before the Knesset, or Israeli parliament. Netanyahu included India, Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration and unnamed Arab, African and Asian countries as members of the proposed alliance.
Read more: US envoy says Israel could take ‘entire Middle East’
The objective is “to create an axis of countries that see reality, challenges and goals in the same way, as opposed to radical axes,” he stated. “Both the radical Shiite axis, which we have hit very hard, as well as the emerging axis: the radical Sunni axis.”
The resolution introduced today in the House, proposed by Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan on behalf of all political parties, condemned Israel’s policies and actions, particularly its disregard for international law, the Charter of the United Nations (UN) and key UN resolutions.
The Senate strongly criticized any attempt to alter the legal or historical status of the occupied Palestinian territories, including holy sites, and condemned Israel’s settlement expansion and the displacement of Palestinians.
“The Senate firmly opposes statements that undermine regional stability and international legal norms,” the resolution states.
The House also rejected Israel’s recognition of Somaliland’s independence, considering it incompatible with international principles, and reaffirmed its support for Palestinian self-determination.
In December, Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent, sovereign state, prompting strong condemnation from Muslim nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Read more: Pakistan has not recognized Israel
The resolution called for an immediate and complete withdrawal of Israel from the occupied territories and stressed the importance of increased humanitarian assistance for the Palestinians, particularly in Gaza. Furthermore, he urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for actions that violate international humanitarian and human rights laws.
The Senate reiterated its unwavering support for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. The resolution also called for efforts for the early recovery and reconstruction of Palestine.
Last week, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said he “would be fine” if Israel took control of the territory that according to a biblical passage extends from the Nile River to the Euphrates, comments he made during a televised interview that sparked widespread attention after excerpts circulated online.
Huckabee made the comments during an appearance on The Tucker Carlson Showhosted by conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. The discussion focused on religious texts, Israel’s modern borders, and the relationship between theology and geopolitics.
Carlson said the description would encompass much of what is now the Middle East and asked Huckabee whether Israel therefore had a right to that land.
“So God gave him that land, basically the entire Middle East,” Carlson said, asking Huckabee if Israel therefore had a right to that territory.
“It would be nice if they took it all,” Huckabee responded.
Following the statement, Pakistan and 13 other countries strongly condemned the comments.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine, along with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States and the Gulf Cooperation Council, expressed “deep concern.”
Also read: Pakistan and Muslim bloc denounce comments by US envoy supporting Israeli expansion
The ministers said Huckabee’s comments contradicted “the vision put forward by US President Donald Trump, as well as the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict”, which they said aimed to contain the escalation and create a political path towards a deal that ensures Palestinians have an independent state.
