Indonesia will host a summit in April where leaders from the D8 – Iran, Turkey, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, and Azerbaijan – will discuss economic support for Palestine and potential sanctions against Israel, according to a statement released Friday by Iran’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Mohammad Boroujerdi.
Boroujerdi urged the D8 member states to take concrete action, stating, “If we are going to help the Palestinian people, we must help them with economic aid as well as impose economic sanctions on the occupiers who are attacking the suppressed people of Palestine.” He made the remarks during a special interview with ANTARA News, Indonesia’s national news agency.
The call for sanctions comes as the death toll in the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories exceeds 75,000, with a disproportionate number of casualties being children and women, Boroujerdi stated. He characterized the ongoing conflict as a “blatant violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people.”
Boroujerdi dismissed the notion that recognizing Israel as a state would contribute to peace, asserting that one side of the conflict does not genuinely seek a peaceful resolution. He emphasized the need for international pressure on Israel to cease its occupation of Palestinian lands and its attacks on neighboring countries.
The Iranian ambassador also criticized what he described as double standards in the application of democratic and human rights values, questioning why these principles are not extended to the Palestinian people. “Why is democracy and human rights…good for the rest of the world, but not for Palestine?” he asked. He advocated for allowing Palestinians to freely choose their own government through democratic elections, with the outcome accepted by all nations, including Iran.
Boroujerdi reiterated Iran’s position that a resolution to the conflict requires a departure from double standards and a commitment to genuine democracy and respect for human rights in the region. He stated that Iran would accept the outcome of free and fair Palestinian elections, regardless of the religious or ethnic background of the elected representatives.
The D8 summit, to be held in April, will provide a platform for member states to discuss these issues and potentially coordinate a unified response to the ongoing crisis in Palestine. Indonesia is hosting this year’s summit.
