Saudi Arabia, considered as the de-facto leader of the Muslim world, along with its neighbour the United Arab Emirates, was among the countries that blocked a proposal moved at the Islamic-Arab summit to snap all ties with Israel, reports said.
The proposal was to sever all diplomatic and economic relations with Tel Aviv, deny Arab airspace to Israeli flights and that the oil-producing Muslim countries should “threaten to use oil as a means of leverage" to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, The Times of Israel reported Ehud Ya’ari, the Arab affairs analyst of Israeli news platform Channel 12, as saying.
The proposal was shot down by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco, Mauritania and Djibouti, Ya’ari reportedly added.
Two delegates who attended the summit, however, told news agency Reuters that Algeria had moved a proposal seeking a complete cut in ties with Israel. Other Arab countries opposed the demand as they pointed towards the need to keep channels of communication open with Tel Aviv amid the ongoing crisis, they reportedly said.
