By Staff, Agencies Iran's First Vice President, Mohammad Reza Aref, has stated that a national referendum among all Palestinians is the only lasting democratic solution to the Palestinian issue.

In his address at the Extraordinary Joint Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation [OIC] and the Arab League in Riyadh on Monday, Aref proposed “a referendum with the participation of all the Palestinians, including Muslims, Christians and Jews,” based on the principle of “every Palestinian, one vote.” This, he said, would restore Palestinians' “right to determine their fate.” Aref emphasized that avoiding division among Muslim nations is essential to counter “the conspiracies of ill-wishers” against the Muslim world.

He also stressed the heavy responsibility on Muslim and Arab countries to take unified action to stop the “Israeli” entity’s “crimes against the Palestinians and occupation of their homeland.” The Iranian vice president underscored the need for coordinated strategies to prevent further “Israeli” atrocities and to ensure reparations for the damage inflicted on Palestinian and Lebanese people.

He argued that the United Nations and Security Council “lack the ability to put an end to ‘Israel’s’ genocide against the Palestinian people” due to “unwavering support” from the US and certain Western nations.

“Under such circumstances, our responsibility as heads of Muslim and Arab countries multiplies,” Aref said.

Condemning “Israel’s” blatant disregard for international law, Aref noted that it had “torn up the United Nations Charter” and declared the UN Secretary General persona non grata.

“We all have a moral obligation not to remain silent in the face of one of the worst evils left over from the last century, namely the bloody occupation of Palestinian land and continuous displacement and genocide of a nation,” he said.

Aref further criticized “Israel’s” actions in Palestine and Lebanon, linking them to a culture of impunity backed by US and Western support.

Calling out the US as the primary supporter of “Israel”, he said, “The world is waiting for the promise of the new [US] government to immediately stop the war on the innocent people of Gaza and Lebanon.” He concluded by saying that “Israeli” leaders rely on “chaos and war” for their survival, both within the occupied territories and in the surrounding region.

He urged the Riyadh summit to issue a “firm condemnation” of the “Israeli” entity's actions and to demonstrate “unflinching support for the Palestinian cause,” expressing hope for meaningful, coordinated measures from the summit to counter Israel’s “barbarism.”