Arab Parliament chief launches global parliamentary initiative for Palestine

Arab Parliament Speaker and Chair of the Palestine Committee, Saad bin Sulayb Al-Otaibi, has announced the launch of a global parliamentary initiative in support of the Palestinian cause. The initiative aims to mobilize and unify regional and international parliamentary positions, building a broad coalition to defend the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

Al-Otaibi, speaking while chairing the first meeting of the Palestine Committee for the third session of the Arab Parliament’s fourth legislative term, explained that the initiative includes activating parliamentary diplomacy tools to press for an end to the occupation and violations against Palestinians, ensuring accountability and preventing impunity, and translating international legitimacy resolutions into practical steps for achieving a just and comprehensive peace.

He emphasized that the initiative will support accountability before the International Criminal Court, strengthen documentation of crimes and violations, and engage with parliaments and international organizations to halt attacks on Palestinian prisoners, counter legislation targeting their lives, protect Al-Aqsa Mosque and other holy sites, and ensure the continued role of UNRWA in serving Palestinian refugees.

Al-Otaibi added that parliamentary efforts will seek to rally international recognition of the State of Palestine, support its bid for full UN membership, back the resilience of the Palestinian people, press for unhindered humanitarian aid to Gaza, and support reconstruction under Palestinian responsibility, while rejecting any plans for the displacement of Palestinians or the separation of Gaza from the West Bank and Jerusalem.

The Arab Parliament Speaker called on national, regional, and international parliaments, as well as global parliamentary organizations, to move from political solidarity to joint parliamentary action and impactful measures, making parliaments a true force for justice and the defense of peoples’ rights.

He noted that the ongoing crimes and violations committed by the Israeli occupation in Gaza, including killings, displacement, and starvation, place a legal, ethical, and historical responsibility on the international community. He stressed that the escalation of settler attacks, settlement expansion in the West Bank, and violations of holy sites in Jerusalem are policies aimed at undermining Palestinian presence and imposing new realities on the ground, requiring firm international action to hold those responsible accountable.

Al-Otaibi called for reforming the international system, ending double standards in the application of international law, and enhancing the effectiveness of the United Nations in implementing international legitimacy resolutions. He emphasized that the credibility of the international order is measured by its ability to enforce decisions and deliver justice to victims, foremost among them the Palestinian people.

The Arab Parliament Speaker condemned Colombia’s opening of an embassy in occupied Jerusalem, urging international parliamentary action to press Colombia to reverse the move in respect of international law and UN resolutions.

Al-Otaibi concluded by affirming the Arab Parliament’s commitment to following up on the implementation of its decisions and turning them into practical, measurable steps. He stressed that the Palestinian cause requires an international stance that translates law into action so the Palestinian people can obtain their legitimate rights and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.