In his keynote speech at the IISS Manama Dialogue Forum on November 17, 2023, Bahrain’s Prime Minister and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamed Al Khalifa said that both Islam and Judaism recognize the “obligation” to protect innocent lives. “We have a moral responsibility,” he said. Al Khalifa unequivocally condemned the October 7 Hamas attack as “barbaric” and “horrible” and also condemned the Israeli air strikes on Gaza, saying both were reprehensible and must be stopped. and called for the liberation of women and all women. Crown Prince Salman bin Hamed called for children held hostage by Hamas in exchange for non-combatants, women and children held by Israel, calling for a cease-fire and subsequent second war that would lead to calm in the region. He called for a national solution. Al Khalifa’s statement was streamed live on the forum’s YouTube channel.
Crown Prince Salman Al Khalifa: “I have to say it was an honor to deliver the well-organized Bahrain speech at the Islamic Conference held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And this time the speech will be a little different .This is not a positional speech and is repeated over and over again.
“In both Islam and Judaism, protecting innocent lives is an obligation and a moral responsibility. In the Koran, killing an innocent person is defined as an ‘innocent person’, a person who has not spread the word. There is a saying in the Abrahamic faiths that states that “to save a life is to save all mankind.” How wonderful! Neither side of this conflict is responding accordingly. And I think we have something to blame on both sides.
“I unequivocally condemn Hamas, so that everyone present understands that I am not on the side of political posturing, but on the side of civilians and innocent people. Because the October 7 attacks were barbaric, how can I put it? They were horrific, they were indiscriminate, they killed women, children, the elderly. Well, it didn’t matter, they attacked civilian facilities, they attacked military targets.
“On top of that, it seems like it’s now OK to take hostages and take them away and talk about it as if it’s an act of war. That’s what we condemn. And we give it 10 Condemned on the 9th of May, I believe,” or the 8th.
“Now, Israel, I unequivocally condemn the air operation in the Gaza Strip that has left over 11,000 people dead, 4,700 of them children. Now, all of these actions have led to the deaths of innocent people. “Neither of these actions is true.” “Saving all of humanity is effectively killing all of humanity. Both are reprehensible. Both must be stopped. And both It’s something that we have to deal with and move forward with the utmost care, because what we have to do is, and a little bit of prescriptiveness about how I think we can achieve this. Please let me talk about it.
“Two of the most important things we have to do today are to rescue the hostages, and for that I read in open sources that the State of Qatar is working with partners in the United States and Israel. In return, the hostages were to be released, but in return, although this has not been substantiated, the POWs also held in Israel were to be released, in turn releasing women and children from both sides. It is written: non-combatants, innocent people, and this, I believe, is one of the elements of achieving an end to hostilities. You can call people whatever you want. The purpose is to give people a break so they can take stock of the situation. People can bury their dead. People can finally begin to grieve. And maybe people will start asking themselves about the intelligence failures that caused this crisis in the first place, but let’s leave that for later.
“And the second thing that I think is necessary is for the role of international law in the war effort to be fully implemented, and that is to enable access to humanitarian aid. We saw what happened in Al-Quds Hospital, you name it, a facility that cares for the vulnerable, the young, the sick, and we need to make sure they have medicine. We need to be able to provide them with fuel. “We need to get their machines and incubators running. We need to feed the people of Gaza. And to achieve this I truly believe that the only way forward is for this hostage sale to be completed humanely and as soon as possible.”
“Therefore, from this stage, I call on Hamas to release the hostages, women and children they are holding in exchange, and I also call on the Israelis to release the women and children they have taken captive. ” They are Instead, it allows us to have some sense and have days, weeks, months, or even years of peace and tranquility.
“I don’t think any Arab leader asked Hamas to release the hostages. So now is the time to speak up. It’s time to take a political stand, and to perpetuate a harmful narrative, to oppose ‘s story should no longer be ours.’ ‘We’re all here to end this war. We don’t care who started it or who ends it. It is important that we all work together to make this happen.”
“With that in mind, we all know that the conflict did not start on October 7th. This escalation did indeed begin, but this conflict has been ongoing and has been going on for the past 80 years. There are no open wounds. Here’s the kicker: There is no real security. “Until a true two-state solution is found, it will never happen. So we in the region, and primarily the great powers, especially the United States, “It is important that we protect this path to peace. We believe the United States is essential to leading this process.”
“If that’s the case, let’s draw a red line along the lines of the Tokyo Declaration. And let’s be clear about what is important to the Kingdom of Bahrain. There should be no forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza. “Not now or ever.” There must be no reoccupation. Gaza’s territory must not be reduced. On the other hand, there must be no terrorism directed against Israeli citizens from Gaza. It’s very obvious. These are the red lines. .
“And central to this issue, and central to finding a two-state solution, is that the hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people must be in proportion to any post-crisis government. Immediately after a war, the conditions for holding elections must be created.” This is what President Mahmoud Abbas called for at the Islamic Conference, and this is an important demand, and the Palestinian Authority… is the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people today, hear him say: The elections will restore leadership in Gaza and across the West Bank, and in the years to come. It can bring hope and prosperity to the Palestinian people for many years to come.
“Not only that, this organization, this process must lead to serious interlocutors and partners to achieve a just and lasting peace with a viable and independent Palestinian state at its core. It is also necessary to provide security and stability for Israel.”