OIC calls for two-state solution despite cease-fire announcement

Palestinians return to their destroyed houses following Israel- Hamas truce, in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, May 21, 2021. (Reuters)
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Updated 21 May 2021
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OIC calls for two-state solution despite cease-fire announcement

  • The OIC’s secretary-general affirmed the organization’s rejection and condemnation of continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian land

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said on Friday that despite the cessation of Israeli hostilities and the cease-fire in Gaza, achieving lasting peace must be based on a two-state solution, dialogue and the relevant UN resolutions.
The establishment of an independent state of Palestine with 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital was paramount to achieving just, lasting and comprehensive peace, the OIC said.
The OIC’s secretary-general affirmed the organization’s rejection and condemnation of continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian land including East Jerusalem and the establishment of an apartheid system in it through building settlements, destroying Palestinian property, building an expansion wall, confiscating land, homes and properties, and forcibly evicting and displacing Palestinians from their homes and land.
Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen also confirmed the OIC’s concern about Israeli threats to evacuate hundreds of Palestinian families from their homes in occupied East Jerusalem by force, including families in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan.


India’s Modi is making his second official visit to Israel to meet with Netanyahu

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India’s Modi is making his second official visit to Israel to meet with Netanyahu

JERUSALEM: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit focusing on strengthening security, economic and technological cooperation between the two countries.
Modi has said he would hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog and would speak to Israeli parliament on Wednesday evening.
“Our nations share a robust and multifaceted Strategic Partnership,” Modi wrote on X. “Ties have significantly strengthened in the last few years.”
Netanyahu referred to himself and Modi as “personal friends” when he announced the visit earlier this week and the visit is likely to give Israel a boost of international support after seeing relations with many of its allies deteriorate since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.
In addition to being a powerful ally, India is also Israel’s No. 2 trading partner in Asia. Total trade between India and Israel was valued at $3.62 billion in the 2025 fiscal year, according to India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Modi became India’s first prime minister to travel to Israel in 2017, and Netanyahu reciprocated with a trip to India the following year.
Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting Sunday that economic and security issues will be high on the leaders’ agenda, as will sharing technology, including artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
“We are partners in innovation, security, and a shared strategic vision,” Netanyahu said on the social platform X ahead of Modi’s arrival. “Together, we are building an axis of nations committed to stability and progress.”
Modi’s embrace of Israel has marked a shift in India’s foreign policy. India has historically supported the Palestinians, and did not establish full diplomatic ties with Israel until 1992.
A staunch Hindu nationalist, Modi was one of the first global leaders to swiftly express solidarity with Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian militant Hamas group.
India was also among more than 100 countries earlier this month to condemn Israel’s newly approved measures to deepen its control over the occupied West Bank and weaken the already limited powers of the Palestinian Authority.