By Muhammed Enes Calli and Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) – The global awakening about the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 of last year has led to the "collapse of the Israeli narrative and the world's realization of Zionist deceit," veteran Malaysian statesman Mahathir Mohamad said on Sunday.
Mahathir, 99, delivered the remarks in a virtual address on the first day of the "Palestine: The Linchpin of Civilization Renaissance," a three-day conference marking one year of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,800 Palestinians.
The conference began on Sunday in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul and will discuss Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and examine regional and international orders, its impacts, implications, and future directions in the context of Israel's ongoing war on Palestine.
Lauding South Africa’s “historic stand” in taking Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide, Mahathir, the longest-serving former Malaysian prime minister, said: “October 7th marks a significant day as on this day, Palestinians resolved to send a message to the world that they are determined to liberate their land after their cause was nearly forgotten amidst the sustained blockade, expanding settlements, attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Judaization of Jerusalem, and the imposition of apartheid policies on all Palestinians.”
He did, however, express regret for the "disunity of Muslims and weakness of our nations" in failing to "retaliate" against Israel's genocide.
He said the genocide committed by Israel “is endorsed and supported by the US and their Western allies.”
"If anyone had doubts, the US' intervention in Iran's retaliation against Israel proved that the Israelis or Zionists rule the world by proxy," the two-time former prime minister said, condemning those who support the US and Israel's military aggression against Palestine, Lebanon, and Iran.
- ‘Damn Israel, US and their allies’
Mahathir said the time has “come for all Muslims to set aside their differences” because the “least we can do while we feel helpless is to damn Israel, the US and their Western allies as well as Muslims who are complicit in their crimes against humanity.”
Turkish lawmaker Hasan Turan, who heads the Türkiye-Palestine Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, also addressed the conference.
Prominent academics, experts, and journalists such as historian Ilan Pappe from the University of Exeter, John Quigley from Ohio State University, journalist Pepe Escobar, Public Affairs Professor Sami Al-Arian and a former US intelligence officer, UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter will participate in panel sessions to discuss the situation in Gaza from various perspectives.
The conference will address several critical issues over three days, including the moral and intellectual state of Western civilization, the role of Arab countries in the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, and the broader context of Palestine and the Islamic world.
Discussions will also cover the "intellectual and civilizational conflict with the Zionist project," normalization in the Islamic world, and its impact on the Palestinian cause.
Additionally, experts will examine the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Criminal Court (ICC), international law, and the current situation of Israeli society in the context of the ongoing Gaza war.
The conference is being co-hosted by the Center for Islam and Global Affairs, Kuala Lumpur Forum Thought and Civilization, Istanbul-based Human and Civilization Movement and Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
More than 41,800 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 96,900 others injured, according to local health authorities.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.