Jassim Al-Budaiwi confirms the integration of the Gulf security system and widespread international condemnation of calls for the displacement of Palestinians

Jassim Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, confirmed that since before the establishment of the Cooperation Council, in 1981, the GCC countries had been cooperating and coordinating security among themselves, and exchanging expertise, forces, and equipment. Following the establishment of the Council, its security system became integrated, and security relations between its countries were governed.

During his speech in a special dialogue session, within the Security and History Dialogue Conference, on Sunday, in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Al-Budaiwi revealed that since the first meeting of the Council of Interior Ministers of the Council in 1982, the GCC countries have been coordinating security to a large extent, in two declared and unannounced tracks, and since that moment, according to Al-Budaiwi, there have been agreements, studies, strategies, joint systems, communication and major security coordination between the interior ministers of the Council countries, all the way to the previous meeting of the interior ministers.

Al-Budaiwi stressed that the previous meeting of interior ministers, which was held due to “the sinful Iranian attacks on the Gulf Cooperation Council countries,” at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and headed by the Saudi Minister of Interior, and its outcomes had a significant impact in ensuring the security, coordination, and cooperation of the Gulf countries, and he described it as one of the most important meetings he attended.

The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council pointed out that since February 28, when the targeting of the Gulf states began, the six countries have been coordinating, cooperating and helping each other, and exchanging experiences and communications at all levels, including military, security, logistical, media, health and legislative, noting that all countries are ready to help each other, and this is what measures such as Saudi Arabia changing some legislation to help the Gulf states logistically have contributed to.

Al-Budaiwi continued: “There are lessons learned from this crisis, and we will be able to turn these challenges into opportunities, and these are among the outcomes of the summit meeting that the Kingdom called for in Jeddah.”

On the other hand, Al-Budaiwi said that the GCC countries have a strategy to combat cybercrime, and a unified strategy for dealing with artificial intelligence, and that there is joint work to confront these challenges and to make the most of artificial intelligence.

He added that gangs and countries aim to spread drugs in Gulf societies, “and according to information, there are factories that target Gulf youth; Therefore, the GCC countries adopted the “unified strategy to combat drugs,” with the participation of the Ministries of Interior, Youth, Health, and Education.

He explained that the Anti-Narcotics Committee of the Secretariat for Security Affairs in the Council meets periodically, coordinates its efforts and exchanges information, and there are joint seizures, in addition to the Council’s Center for Narcotics Control in Doha, which works greatly and cooperates internationally and regionally, and coordinates Gulf efforts in this framework.

On the level of artificial intelligence, he stated that in addition to the unified strategy, the GCC countries meet annually at the level of communications ministers, adding that the GCC countries are working to employ artificial intelligence to serve their societies, and there is competition to benefit and cooperate among them.

Regarding the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for the Gulf Cooperation Council, Al-Budaiwi pointed out that it brought security cooperation to a qualitative leap, and many of the Council’s achievements came as a result of this vision, stressing that in this context meetings and gatherings intensified and produced tangible results.

Al-Budaiwi expressed his hope that the GCC countries would reach integration at the highest level at all levels, including military, security, economic, commercial, youth, media and judicial levels.

On Sunday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar and Egypt strongly condemned statements issued by Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir and Defense Minister Israel Katz regarding the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, and the plans and mechanisms they included in presenting plans and mechanisms aimed at forcibly removing them from their land.

In a joint statement, the ministers described the statements and proposals as “inflammatory” and represented a flagrant violation of the principles of international law, including international humanitarian law, and a direct threat to the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

The statement affirmed the categorical rejection of any attempts or plans aimed at displacing Palestinians, whether inside or outside the occupied Palestinian territories, and under any name or pretext, warning of the dangerous consequences of turning calls for forced displacement into a declared policy or practical measures aimed at uprooting Palestinians from their land.

The ministers saw that such measures constitute a direct challenge to international efforts aimed at achieving peace, most notably US President Donald Trump’s comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza, and the rejection of forced displacement it includes, warning of risks that would undermine the chances of stability in the region.

The statement stressed that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories, and the necessity of preserving the unity of the Palestinian territories in the Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The ministers stressed that the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace is to implement the two-state solution and establish an independent Palestinian state along the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the relevant international legitimacy resolutions.

They called on the international community, especially the Security Council, to assume its responsibilities and confront any attempts to impose a new demographic or geographical reality in the occupied Palestinian territories, and to ensure respect for the rules of international law, renewing their support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land, and rejecting any attempts to erase the Palestinian issue or undermine their legitimate rights.