Alwaght- The Arab-Islamic emergency meeting that was held at a request by Qatar to discuss the recent Israeli aggression on Doha is seen as a turning point to shed light on the deep geopolitical developments the Israeli regime and its Western allies are trying to foist on the Islamic countries and also to redefine the Muslim world's collective security standing.
The meeting was expected to explore a range of responses from participating nations, including pursuing international legal action against Tel Aviv, boycotting Israel economically, strengthening military alliances, and rebalancing political partnerships with other global powers such as China and Russia. However, evidence suggests that, as in previous instances, the meeting's outcomes have been limited to the issuance of paper statements and the repetition of clichéd phrases condemning these crimes, with no concrete enforcement mechanism presented to address them.
The draft statement of the foreign ministerial meeting stressed that the Israeli regime’s attack on Qatar threatens international mediation efforts to stop the war in Gaza. It also stressed the necessity of standing against the regime’s plans to cement new realities on the ground and warned of the consequences of annexing more Palestinian territories.
An ironic aspect of this statement is its political dimension, which frames the Israeli regime’s aggression against Doha as a threat to all achievements on the path toward normalisation with Tel Aviv. Simply put, from the perspective of some Arab governments, while Israel’s continued aggression may slow or temporarily delay normalisation efforts, it will not completely destroy them.
This comes at a time when Arab public opinion, amid the genocide in Gaza, continuous attacks on Islamic countries, and now the threat to Qatar in the heart of the Persian Gulf, is decisively demanding a permanent end to this process. Nevertheless, some Arab capitals remain hopeful for a cessation of the war in Gaza so they can once again put the controversial normalisation project back on the table.
Questioning the normalization project
The Abraham Accords that were launched in 2020 as a US initiative were in fact a project to articulate a Arab-Israeli coalition aimed at countering Iran and undermining the Axis of Resistance.
As part of its Iranophobia policy, Washington sought to establish a new security order in West Asia centered on safeguarding the security interests of the Israeli regime, ending its geopolitical isolation, and integrating it into the region's arrangements. In doing so, it sent a message to Arab countries that the only way to escape this "common enemy" was to come on board the normalization.
This policy may have found supporters among some Arab rulers before the Gaza war began. However, the series of crimes committed by the Israeli regime in the occupied territories and its repeated attacks on other countries in the region, culminating in the assault on Doha, have clearly demonstrated that the primary source of instability in West Asia is Tel Aviv itself. This is a regime that recognizes no geographical boundaries in advancing its expansionist agenda and, if conditions allow, would not hesitate to attack even the compromising Arab governments.
Therefore, the ongoing crimes of the Israeli regime have called into question the US's efforts to portray Iran as a threat. Instead, they have highlighted Tel Aviv as a source of persistent regional instability and a danger to its neighbors, including countries with which it has peace treaties.
The attack on Qatar further revealed the Israeli regime as a revisionist actor, operating with a preemptive, aggressive nature and a blatant disregard for international law. Its aim is to disrupt regional order and stability, weaken regional states, and bring about sweeping strategic changes in the region, particularly in Palestine.
The attack on Qatar proved that anyone supporting Palestinian groups will not be safe from Israeli aggression—a direct warning to Turkey and Egypt, which host Hamas leaders. This has raised concerns that the regime may expand its operations to Turkish or Egyptian soil, something even Eli Cohen, the Israeli Minister of Economy, admitted by not ruling out the possibility of attacking Hamas leadership headquarters in Turkey.
This Israeli escalation of the crisis, coupled with existing tensions between the Israel and Turkey over Syria, as well as with Egypt concerning the forced displacement of Gaza's residents, could trigger a catastrophic large-scale conflict with its aspects spreading global.
The current context has demonstrated more clearly than ever that the West and Tel Aviv's narrative of the Iranian threat was nothing more than a political and propaganda project. Arab nations must now recognize that Iran not only poses no danger to their security but stands as the region's most stable and resilient pillar against the occupation and atrocities of the Israeli regime. Therefore, if they seek to free themselves from real threats, they have no choice but to strengthen strategic convergence and comprehensive regional cooperation to force-stop Israel's war machine—and close the normalization project for good.
US credibility damaged
The Israeli aggression on regional nations has impaired the image of the US as the guarantor of the security of the Persian Gulf Arab states. Regional countries host American military bases, yet Washington's inability or unwillingness to prevent an attack carried out by its own strategic ally has raised serious doubts about the credibility of US security guarantees.
Arab monarchies, under the assumption that the presence of American bases would ensure their security in times of crisis, granted Washington access to their soil. However, experience has shown that the US only intervenes when its own interests are at stake and takes no concrete action to defend Arab nations.
The US acts with full force solely in support of the security of the occupied territories, as seen during the 12-day war and Iran's True Promise operations, when American missile defense systems were entirely dedicated to intercepting Iranian missiles and drones.
Consequently, these developments will likely lead the Persian Gulf countries to reassess their level of trust in the US regarding security matters. The recent attack on Qatar stirred doubt about if relying on Washington as a military and security partner would work in the time of need.
This situation may push the Persian Gulf states toward forming diverse military alliances, including with powers like Turkey and Pakistan, or compel them to demand more formal and robust security guarantees from Washington. Although Saudi Arabia had previously sought to sign a security agreement with the US, the White House policymakers have been reluctant to commit to such deals due to Tel Aviv’s sensitivities.
Practical solutions to punish the aggressor
If the Arab countries want to really punish Tel Aviv, they should consider the solutions proposed by the Palestinian resistance groups and even Iran.
In a letter sent to Doha summit upon its opening, Palestinian resistance groups urged the leaders of the OIC to utilize all available Arab leverage. This includes activating the joint defense agreement, wielding the oil weapon, and imposing comprehensive Arab sanctions against the Israeli regime.
These groups also called for the Arab League to take immediate action with the international community to impose severe sanctions on Tel Aviv. The aim is to force it to stop its genocidal war and lift the unjust blockade on the Gaza Strip.
It is noteworthy that Arab countries employed oil as a weapon during their fourth war with the Israeli regime, known as the Yom Kippur War in 1973. By halting oil exports to the Israeli regime and its Western allies, and by driving up energy prices, they managed to achieve some successes.
Had the Arabs utilized this powerful tool over the past two years, instead of remaining silent and passive in the face of the Israeli assaults on Gaza, they could undoubtedly have stopped Tel Aviv in the very first weeks, preventing the genocide and destruction of Gaza.
Conversely, through their silence and inaction, Arab countries have effectively sided with the Israelis. Reports suggests that some Arab leaders have provided covert financial and military support to Tel Aviv as Gaza war unfolded. By offering their territories and connecting transit corridors from the Persian Gulf to the occupied territories, they have blocked serious economic pressure on the regime mainly put on Tel Aviv by a Red Sea blockade imposed by Yemen.
Another key recommendation from the resistance groups is that Arab nations should provide immediate humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza and establish a fund for the reconstruction of the Palestinian coastal enclave.
At a time when the Israeli regime and the US, by attempting to force the people of Gaza out of their land, aim to occupy the Strip and implement their own plans under the guise of reconstruction, Arab countries can intervene. By investing in Gaza's rebuilding, they can prevent Washington and Tel Aviv from seizing control of these Islamic lands.
Now that Israeli threats have reached the heart of the Arab world, these governments must understand that any further tolerance will only embolden the Israeli regime. The "Greater Israel" project, championed by Benjamin Netanyahu, could become a reality if Arab silence continues.
Iranian officials have over and over warned that should Israel as a rogue regime is not contained, the Muslim world at its entirety will be subjected to Israeli threats and aggressions and disastrous consequences will impact the nations that choose silence. However, despite these warnings and bitter historical experiences, Arab states continue to pursue their illusory fantasies, refusing to grasp the regional realities and the genuine dangers posed by Tel Aviv's aggression. In other words, instead of taking concrete action, they cling to largely unrealistic strategies.
Now the consequences of their silence to the Israeli genocide in Gaza are directly affecting the Arab countries themselves and risking their stability.
