The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has focused on several key strategies:
Suspension and Sanctions: The OIC has recently reiterated calls to suspend Israel’s membership in the United Nations.The Muslim world's efforts to mitigate the crisis involving Israel and the United States center on a combination of high-level diplomatic pressure, calls for economic leverage, and persistent demands for a ceasefire and a two-state solution. The Current Diplomatic Efforts & Direct Action of Muslim-majority nations and international bodies like the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have focused on several key strategies:
Suspension and Sanctions: The OIC has recently reiterated calls to suspend Israel’s membership in the United Nations.
Diplomatic Recalls: At least 11 nations, including Jordan, Turkey, and Bahrain, have recalled their ambassadors or severed ties entirely as a form of protest against Israeli military operations.
Joint Summits: Leaders from the Arab League and OIC have held emergency meetings to present a united front, recently demanding an immediate ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian aid during discussions at the UN General Assembly.
Leveraging Influence: Proposals for Mitigation
Islamic leaders and scholars within the U.S. and globally have urged Muslim nations to use more aggressive "concrete actions" to pressure the U.S. and Israel, including;
Economic Embargoes Calls for oil and gas embargoes to leverage the energy dependence of Western nations. Severing ties and urging nations that signed the Abraham Accords (such as the UAE and Bahrain) to cut economic, military, and intelligence ties. Military Airspace Bans proposals to block the use of airspace and military facilities for any operations supporting Israeli actions.
The Obvious Provocateur. Regional Escalation by the Zionist State of Israel.
The Key Issue is the direct confrontation from the Zionist state of Israel, and recent "pre-emptive strikes" by Israel and retaliatory warnings from Iran have significantly heightened fears of a broader regional war, with the U.S. providing strategic support to Israel.
A more direct, military-aligned form of mitigation is led by Iran and its allies (the "Axis of Resistance"). Asymmetric Pressure - Iran utilizes non-state actors like Hezbollah (Lebanon), the Houthis (Yemen), and Hamas to project power and create a multi-front challenge for Israel and the U.S.
Key Obstacles to a Unified Response
However, despite the rhetoric, several factors complicate a cohesive "Muslim world" response, such as internal divisions where some nations, like the UAE, maintain diplomatic relations for strategic and economic reasons, even while criticizing specific Israeli policies.
The most uncohesive of U.S. Alliance Dependencies, many Arab states balance their support for Palestine with their defense treaties and security architectures built with the United States.
The growing critics argue that bodies like the OIC are "strong on rhetoric but short on serious, tangible action," often limited to issuing condemnations rather than enforcing collective sanctions. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the broader Arab-Islamic bloc have significantly intensified their efforts to suspend Israel’s membership in the United Nations. This push reached a peak in late 2025 and continues into 2026, driven by what member states characterize as "genocidal actions" and "flagrant violations" of international law.
Nature and Scale of Current Efforts.
The effort is a coordinated, multilateral campaign involving high-level diplomatic sessions and formal resolutions.
Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summits: In September 2025, an emergency summit in Doha adopted a final communiqué where member states of the OIC and the Arab League officially announced their intention to coordinate efforts to suspend Israel's UN membership. This followed a similar call from the Riyadh-held Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit in November 2024, which urged for a freeze on Israel's membership.
Persistent Diplomatic Pressure: As of early 2026, the OIC General Secretariat continues to reiterate its call for suspension, citing Israel's persistent "unlawful practices of displacement, settlement, annexation," and attempts to impose sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory.
Individual State Leadership: Countries like Malaysia and Pakistan have been vocal proponents. Malaysia’s Foreign Minister plans to renew the appeal publicly at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2026. Pakistan, currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), has reiterated the OIC's call and urged member states to consider "other appropriate measures".
Likelihood of Success and Legal Hurdles
While the effort has significant political momentum within the OIC and the Global South, it faces substantial legal and geopolitical barriers.
Mechanism Success Rate / Likelihood Primary Obstacle
UN Charter (Articles 5 & 6) Highly Unlikely Under the UN Charter, suspending or expelling a member state requires a recommendation from the Security Council followed by a vote in the General Assembly. The United States has a permanent veto on the UNSC and maintains "ironclad support" for Israel, making a formal recommendation almost inconceivable.
Credentialing Process (Rule 29) Potential "Interim" Option There is a proposed alternative to challenge Israel’s credentials within the UNGA. This mechanism, successfully used against Apartheid-era South Africa, would theoretically allow the Assembly to suspend Israel’s participation in GA sessions without a Security Council vote.
General Assembly Resolutions High Success in Adoption The UNGA frequently adopts resolutions against Israel by large majorities. In 2025 alone, the GA adopted at least 15 resolutions regarding Israel, often with over 140 "Yes" votes.
Major Deterrents and Counter-Arguments
The success of these efforts is further complicated by several factors:
Geopolitical Fractures: Some analysts view the push for suspension as "one-sided" and argue it ignores the actions of other regional actors, such as Hamas or Iran.
Deadline Defiance: A previous UNGA resolution set September 2025 as the deadline for Israel to end its "unlawful occupation" following an ICJ advisory opinion; however, Israel has not complied, leading to calls for more "resolute action" rather than just "lip service".
Strategic Partners: Key world powers, including the U.S. and the UK, have consistently voiced dissent against measures they believe undercut Israel's security or fail to condemn Hamas.
The "credentialing process" refers to a procedural mechanism within the UN General Assembly (UNGA) that can effectively bar a state from participating in sessions without formally expelling them from the UN. This bypasses the Security Council veto required for formal suspension or expulsion under Articles 5 and 6 of the UN Charter.
How the South Africa Precedent Worked
Between 1970 and 1974, the UNGA used its Rules of Procedure to challenge the legitimacy of the South African delegation.
Rejection of Credentials (Rule 28): Each year, the Credentials Committee (9 members) reviews the "credentials" (official documents) of delegations. Starting in 1970, the UNGA began rejecting South Africa’s credentials because the government did not represent the majority of its people due to apartheid.
The Bouteflika Ruling (1974): Initially, rejection was seen as a "symbolic warning" that did not stop participation. However, in 1974, UNGA President Abdelaziz Bouteflika (Algeria) ruled that since the Assembly had consistently rejected the delegation's credentials, it meant they could no longer participate in the session.
Impact of the Ruling: This decision was upheld by a vote of 91 to 22. South Africa remained a member of the UN but was barred from taking its seat, speaking, or voting in the General Assembly until 1994.
Application to Israel Today
The OIC and legal scholars have proposed using this same "interim" tactic against Israel.
Legal Rationale: Proponents argue that Israel’s persistent disregard for International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinions and Security Council resolutions provides a legal basis to challenge the "representativeness" and legitimacy of its current government at the UN.
The "Workaround" Advantage: Because this is a procedural matter of the General Assembly, it cannot be vetoed by the United States in the Security Council.
Success Factors:
Timing: Credentials are reviewed at the start of each regular session (typically September).
Political Will: While the OIC supports this, many states fear setting a precedent where any government’s credentials could be challenged based on its policies rather than just the authenticity of its paperwork.
Joe Boyle


