After the attacks on Israel, some Arab governments are relying on diplomacy – others on solidarity with the Palestinians and criticism of the government in Jerusalem.
Solidarity with the Palestinians – that’s what the Arab states regularly demand, especially when it comes to the decades-long conflict with Israel. As one of the few countries in the Arab world to have Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. In recent decades, the country on the Nile has repeatedly been discussed as a mediator in the Middle East conflict.
With a view to Hamas’s latest attacks on Israel, the government in Cairo is addressing both Israel and the Palestinians: “Egypt warns of serious consequences of the escalating tensions between Israel and the Palestinians and calls for the greatest restraint. It should be avoided “exposing civilians to further risks.”
According to its own statements, Cairo is trying to de-escalate the conflict in consultation with other governments in the Middle East, Europe and the USA. But the influence of the most populous state in the Arab world has continued to shrink in recent decades – especially in favor of the Arab Gulf states and other regional powers such as Iran and Turkey.
Egypt is trying to de-escalate
Also the United Arab Emirates signed a peace treaty with Israel – but only three years ago. The focus was on common economic and security interests. The decades-old demand for solidarity with the Palestinians seemed to play at most a minor role more than 70 years after the founding of the State of Israel.
Even now, the political leadership in Abu Dhabi – unlike other Arab states – is holding back from criticizing Israeli policies: In a statement, the United Arab Emirates expressed its concern about the escalation of violence between Israelis and Palestinians and called for the utmost restraint and a ceasefire.
Saudi Arabia sees Israel’s complicity
The big neighbor Saudi Arabia on the other hand, is less diplomatic. A statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry said: “The Kingdom recalls its repeated warnings about the dangers of an escalation of the situation as a result of the ongoing occupation.” With this statement, the political leadership in Riyadh blames the Israeli government for the escalation of violence.
The Saudis had also spoken publicly about a possible peace agreement with the Israelis. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appeared to be pushing this step in recent years. His father, King Salman, on the other hand, is considered a champion of the Palestinian cause: with Islam’s two holiest sites, the kingdom is considered a protective power for the Palestinians.
Per-Palestinian Demonstrations in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen
There were demonstrations in support of Hamas in several Arab countries. Protesters in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen waved Palestinian flags. In many autocratically ruled states in the Arab world, people are expressing their solidarity with the Palestinians on social networks.
Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar blamed Israel for the violence. Differentiated debates about the state of Israel and the rights of the Palestinians are not supported by the state in the countries of the Arab world.