IT was reported in the Western media that Donald Trump’s administration would withdraw billions in aid to countries that voted against the US at the United Nations General Assembly recently.

How else would the Muslim world respond to Trump’s unilateral decision to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move its embassy to East Jerusalem?

More street demonstrations spouting hot, volatile statements against the US and Israel, and expecting change to occur with more of the same actions? Our rally, too, exhibited the same vehemence and despondency at Trump and Zionist lsrael.

But, the Muslim world should take heed of the wise words of Albert Einstein, who said: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a conglomerate of 59 Muslim countries, the second largest organisation after the UN, needs to be more creative and ingenious in its response to the Trump challenge.

Despite its 47 years of existence and some successes on various other fronts, the OIC has failed to rally the Muslim world towards a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian imbroglio. Truly a sorry testimony of its global impotency.

Is it not plainly obvious to the OIC, and the Muslim world in general, that Trump only understands the language of “The All Mighty Dollar”?

Trump is terribly desperate to rehabilitate the US economy, saddled with trillions of dollars in pernicious debt, and hopes to create jobs for the US workforce.

Trump is extremely anxious to boost trade ties and attract foreign investments from the affluent nations of the OIC and others.

And yet, the recent OIC summit did not, at any point, address the issue of applying economic pressure, let alone consider an economic or a diplomatic boycott. The OIC should take firm, creative and unconventional actions to teach the POTUS a lesson in international economics, diplomacy, decorum and the rule of law.

Probably not, with the likes of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and his ambitious son, who, on the contrary, are beefing up the US economy with their US$7 billion (RM28.5 billion) purchase of “guided munitions” to decimate Yemen, and are directing their boycott strategies towards Qatar.

Closer to home, our prime minister is equally guilty of “betraying” the Palestinian cause, despite his battle cry at the Putrajaya rally that “we will not be cowed by US threats”.

Kindly be reminded that Trump, in his election manifesto, had posited the transfer of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

And when Mike Pence, his deputy, reaffirmed this policy in May, he was unreservedly criticised by the Western world and Arab leaders.

Despite Trump’s anti-Palestinian stance, Najib Razak, during his visit to the US in September, pledged to uplift the US economy with a promise to purchase 25 Boeing 737-MAX 10 and eight Dreamliner 787 aircraft, worth in excess of US$10 billion!

Now that Trump has made good on his election promise to transfer the US embassy to Jerusalem, will Najib’s “over my dead body” rhetoric at yesterday’s solidarity rally warrant him to rescind the Malaysian order of US$10 billion worth of US airplanes, for a start?

In the same vein, would you also be bold enough to advocate the “Boycott Divestment and Sanctions” movement, Mr Prime Minister, which, over its 12-year history, has grown into a vibrant, peaceful, global movement, effectively challenging economies that support Israeli colonisation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing? – December 23, 2017.

* Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad is strategy director of Amanah.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.