Turkey says Israel should be suspended from UN General Assembly

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged Islamic nations to work toward suspending Israel from participating in United Nations General Assembly meetings and activities, ‘The Middle East Eye’ reports.

Speaking at an emergency summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Fidan said that Palestinians needed collective action to end Israel's genocide in Gaza and settler violence in the occupied West Bank.  

“This meeting will focus on three urgent tasks: halting the war, forging a united response of the Islamic Ummah, and mobilising the international community,” he said.

Fidan stressed that Israel’s “genocidal aggression” continues in Gaza, where half a million people face catastrophic hunger, adding that the UN has now officially declared famine in the territory.

He noted that Hamas has already accepted a ceasefire plan proposed by Qatar and Egypt, yet the Israeli government “still seeks the erasure of Palestine”.  

“Therefore, we must join our efforts in sustaining and expanding the momentum for Palestine’s recognition, while also launching an initiative within the UN for Palestine’s full membership - and considering the suspension of Israel from the work of the General Assembly,” Fidan added.

On Monday, the OIC foreign ministers meeting issued a statement following the summit that said it "urges the OIC Member States to examine further whether Israel's membership in the United Nations aligns with the UN Charter, given Israel's evident violations of the requirements for membership and its consistent disregard for UN resolutions".

"Additionally, efforts should be coordinated to suspend Israel's membership in the United Nations," it said.

Fidan’s call to suspend Israel from the UN General Assembly has precedent.

Articles 5 and 6 of the UN Charter state that a member may be suspended or expelled if it “persistently violates the principles contained in the Charter”.

However, such a move requires a recommendation from the Security Council, where the five permanent members, including the United States, hold veto power.

There is, however, another route: the General Assembly itself. This was used in 1974 against apartheid South Africa.

On 27 September 1974, the UN Credentials Committee rejected South Africa’s credentials, a routine procedure before General Assembly meetings.

Three days later, the General Assembly passed Resolution 3207, urging the Security Council to review South Africa’s membership in light of its constant violations of the Charter.

ZIM Comp. confirmed that Turkish authorities have barred Israeli-linked vessels from entering the country’s ports, in the latest escalation of Ankara’s sanctions against Israel.

The Haifa-based line, the world’s ninth-largest container carrier, said that vessels that are either owned, managed or operated by an entity related to Israel will not be permitted to berth in Turkish ports. The move also covers cargoes bound for, or originating in Israel.

Already one ZIM vessel has been turned away from Istanbul and diverted to Piraeus, leaving cargo bound for Turkey in limbo.

The regulation also bars Turkish-flagged vessels from calling at Israeli ports and prohibits ships carrying military cargo destined for Israel from entering Turkish harbours. The restrictions build on a trade ban first announced in May 2024, when Ankara suspended $7bn in bilateral commerce and halted dozens of product categories in protest against Israel’s war in Gaza.

Other carriers are seeking clarification from Turkish authorities on whether their services could be impacted.

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