Opinion: Arab inaction and failure to protect Palestine from Israeli hostilities

The conflict between Israel and Palestine has been a persistent and deeply entrenched issue in the Middle East for over seven decades.

In this protracted struggle, the role of Arab countries has been significant, yet their efforts to protect and support Palestine against Israeli aggression have often been scrutinized and criticized.

Despite their historical, cultural, and political ties to Palestine, Arab countries have repeatedly failed to take decisive actions to safeguard Palestinian interests. Then what are the factors that have hindered Arab nations from effectively defending Palestine?

The Arab world has long professed solidarity with the Palestinian cause, rooted in shared history, religion, and culture. Following the partition plan proposed by the United Nations in 1947, Arab nations collectively rejected the establishment of the state of Israel, leading to the first Arab-Israeli War in 1948.

Despite their initial unified stance, the lack of coordination and effective military capabilities resulted in a defeat that left significant portions of Palestine under Israeli control (Shlaim, 2000).

In the following years, the Arab League, established in 1945, became a platform for articulating collective support for Palestine. However, the League’s resolutions often lacked enforcement mechanisms, rendering them largely symbolic.

The 1967 Six-Day War further exposed the weaknesses of Arab military strategies and cooperation, as Israel captured additional Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip (Morris, 2008).

The failure of Arab countries to effectively safeguard Palestine is partly attributable to political fragmentation and divergent national interests. The Arab world comprises a diverse set of countries with varying political systems, economic conditions, and foreign policy orientations. These differences have often translated into conflicting priorities and strategies regarding the Palestinian issue.

For instance, Egypt, historically a leading Arab power, pursued a peace agreement with Israel through the Camp David Accords in 1978, prioritizing the return of the Sinai Peninsula over broader Arab unity (Kamel, 2015). Similarly, Jordan, despite its large Palestinian population, signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 to ensure its own territorial integrity and economic interests (Shlaim, 1994).

Furthermore, the Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have increasingly aligned with the United States’ regional agenda, which includes maintaining stable relations with Israel.

This alignment has often resulted in a muted response to Israeli actions against Palestinians, as seen in the normalization agreements under the Abraham Accords in 2020 (Jones, 2020).

Economic dependencies and external influences have also played a crucial role in shaping Arab countries’ responses to the Palestinian plight. Many Arab nations rely heavily on Western countries for military, economic, and political support. This dependency has limited their ability to confront Israel, a key ally of the United States, without risking their own economic and security interests.

The Gulf states’ economic partnerships with the West, particularly in the oil and energy sectors, have created a geopolitical landscape where overt opposition to Israeli policies could jeopardize lucrative deals and investments (Gause, 2010). Similarly, Egypt’s reliance on U.S. military aid has constrained its ability to take a firm stance against Israel (Sharp, 2021).

Internal challenges, including governance issues, economic instability, and social unrest, have further diverted Arab countries’ attention away from the Palestinian cause.

The Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, for example, led to political turmoil and regime changes in several countries, such as Libya, Syria, and Yemen. These internal crises have consumed resources and political capital that might otherwise have been directed toward supporting Palestine (Lynch, 2014).

Moreover, authoritarian governance structures in many Arab countries have stifled public dissent and activism, limiting grassroots movements that could pressure governments to take stronger actions in defense of Palestine. The suppression of civil liberties and political freedoms has resulted in a disconnect between official state policies and the sentiments of the broader Arab population, which often remains deeply sympathetic to the Palestinian cause (Cook, 2017).

The failure of Arab countries to effectively shield Palestine from Israeli attacks is a complex issue rooted in historical, political, economic, and social factors. While Arab nations have consistently expressed solidarity with the Palestinian cause, their actions have often been constrained by political fragmentation, divergent national interests, economic dependencies, and internal challenges.

As a result, the Arab world has struggled to present a unified and effective front in defense of Palestine.

Addressing these challenges requires a renewed commitment to Arab unity, strategic coordination, and the empowerment of civil society to advocate for the Palestinian cause. Without these efforts, the Arab world’s ability to influence the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and protect Palestinian interests will likely remain limited.