Seamless decision-making is a rare commodity during Arab summits because the League’s 21 member states hold differing regional views. There have been notable exceptions, such as the 2002 Beirut Summit that floated the Arab Peace Initiative and the emergency summit held last year, endorsing Geneva II talks to end the Syrian civil war. The fact that Arab leaders can agree on common goals negates accusations that the Arab League is little more than “a glorified debating society.”
However, few are holding their breath expecting great things from the Arab Summit hosted by Kuwait for the first time since it joined the League in 1961, which started yesterday and concludes today. It’s sad to say that Arab governments have rarely been this divided on numerous issues.
Kuwait is keen to maintain its role as a neutral bridge-mending mediator. Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s Minister for Cabinet Affairs, is optimistic. “Wisdom always prevails among Arab leaders during difficult times . . .” he told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding, “Kuwait always plays the role of calming and supporting cooperation and joint [Arab] interests.
High on the agenda is the violence spilling over from the Syrian conflict into Lebanon. On the wish list of the Lebanese President Michel Suleiman is the League’s backing for a strengthened Lebanese military to defend the country against Israeli incursions and terrorism. Saudi Arabia has already donated a whopping $3 billion toward a weapons upgrade. He will also ask for humanitarian assistance for the more than one million Syrian refugees who’ve fled to Lebanon.
Talks on the Syrian crisis are unlikely to be fruitful following the failure of Geneva II participants to make progress. Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government and Iran’s proxy in Lebanon Hezbollah cheer the Assad regime, while other member states have no appetite to insert boots on the ground. The Syrian opposition would like to claim Syria’s seat in the League but on that they’re crying to the wind. There might, however, be consensus on the need for humanitarian corridors and increased aid.
As always, Palestine will loom large within the proceedings. And on this perennial issue there’ll be few disagreements. At a time when the US-brokered peace process is in shambles over Israel’s fast-tracked “settlement” land grab, its attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and Benjamin Netanyahu’s unwillingness to make concessions unless the Palestinian National Authority first recognizes Israel as a “Jewish state,” talks are poised to collapse.
According to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the League will draft a resolution rejecting the concept of a Jewish state because such recognition would undermine refugees’ right of return and could deprive Palestinians choosing to remain where they are of compensation.
So what makes this 25th Arab League Summit different from all others?
There’s an unprecedented and growing rift between Gulf States centered upon Qatar’s maverick foreign policy, which several of its neighbors believe directly threatens regional security. At its core is Doha’s unwavering support for the Muslim Brotherhood that’s been declared a terrorist organization by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani is unapologetic for being out of step with GCC allies in the belief his tiny country has the right to choose its own course. Earlier this month, the Kingdom, the UAE and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors from Qatar to protest Doha’s interference in their affairs. A joint statement issued by the trio indicated that they feel Sheikh Tamim has reneged on a commitment given last year “not to support any party aiming to threaten the security and stability of any GCC member.”
Points of contention include Qatar’s harboring of Muslim Brotherhood leaders and the platform given by Al-Jazeera to the global organization’s de facto spiritual leader Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi to stir-up dissent in Egypt and heap insults on neighboring Gulf countries. It is further alleged that Qatar gives material support to Houthi rebels in Yemen as well as the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front in Syria.
The dispute between Qatar and hitherto brotherly states does not feature on the Summit’s schedule. It will rather be the elephant in the room, unspoken except during behind-closed-door discussions or at peripheral meetings. Kuwait is anxious to see the parties involved patch-up their differences but is also eager to avoid stormy sessions.
Cracks in the GCC serve none of its members, especially when the Obama administration is stretching out its hand to Iran which some analysts feel is a prelude to some sort of geopolitical “Grand Bargain” on the lines of that made between the US and the Shah.
Linda S. Heard is a British specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She welcomes feedback and can be contacted by email at heardonthegrapevines@yahoo.co.uk.
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Time for Arabs to shun differences
Posted on March 26, 2014 by Linda S. Heard
Seamless decision-making is a rare commodity during Arab summits because the League’s 21 member states hold differing regional views. There have been notable exceptions, such as the 2002 Beirut Summit that floated the Arab Peace Initiative and the emergency summit held last year, endorsing Geneva II talks to end the Syrian civil war. The fact that Arab leaders can agree on common goals negates accusations that the Arab League is little more than “a glorified debating society.”
However, few are holding their breath expecting great things from the Arab Summit hosted by Kuwait for the first time since it joined the League in 1961, which started yesterday and concludes today. It’s sad to say that Arab governments have rarely been this divided on numerous issues.
Kuwait is keen to maintain its role as a neutral bridge-mending mediator. Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s Minister for Cabinet Affairs, is optimistic. “Wisdom always prevails among Arab leaders during difficult times . . .” he told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding, “Kuwait always plays the role of calming and supporting cooperation and joint [Arab] interests.
High on the agenda is the violence spilling over from the Syrian conflict into Lebanon. On the wish list of the Lebanese President Michel Suleiman is the League’s backing for a strengthened Lebanese military to defend the country against Israeli incursions and terrorism. Saudi Arabia has already donated a whopping $3 billion toward a weapons upgrade. He will also ask for humanitarian assistance for the more than one million Syrian refugees who’ve fled to Lebanon.
Talks on the Syrian crisis are unlikely to be fruitful following the failure of Geneva II participants to make progress. Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government and Iran’s proxy in Lebanon Hezbollah cheer the Assad regime, while other member states have no appetite to insert boots on the ground. The Syrian opposition would like to claim Syria’s seat in the League but on that they’re crying to the wind. There might, however, be consensus on the need for humanitarian corridors and increased aid.
As always, Palestine will loom large within the proceedings. And on this perennial issue there’ll be few disagreements. At a time when the US-brokered peace process is in shambles over Israel’s fast-tracked “settlement” land grab, its attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and Benjamin Netanyahu’s unwillingness to make concessions unless the Palestinian National Authority first recognizes Israel as a “Jewish state,” talks are poised to collapse.
According to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the League will draft a resolution rejecting the concept of a Jewish state because such recognition would undermine refugees’ right of return and could deprive Palestinians choosing to remain where they are of compensation.
So what makes this 25th Arab League Summit different from all others?
There’s an unprecedented and growing rift between Gulf States centered upon Qatar’s maverick foreign policy, which several of its neighbors believe directly threatens regional security. At its core is Doha’s unwavering support for the Muslim Brotherhood that’s been declared a terrorist organization by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani is unapologetic for being out of step with GCC allies in the belief his tiny country has the right to choose its own course. Earlier this month, the Kingdom, the UAE and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors from Qatar to protest Doha’s interference in their affairs. A joint statement issued by the trio indicated that they feel Sheikh Tamim has reneged on a commitment given last year “not to support any party aiming to threaten the security and stability of any GCC member.”
Points of contention include Qatar’s harboring of Muslim Brotherhood leaders and the platform given by Al-Jazeera to the global organization’s de facto spiritual leader Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi to stir-up dissent in Egypt and heap insults on neighboring Gulf countries. It is further alleged that Qatar gives material support to Houthi rebels in Yemen as well as the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front in Syria.
The dispute between Qatar and hitherto brotherly states does not feature on the Summit’s schedule. It will rather be the elephant in the room, unspoken except during behind-closed-door discussions or at peripheral meetings. Kuwait is anxious to see the parties involved patch-up their differences but is also eager to avoid stormy sessions.
Cracks in the GCC serve none of its members, especially when the Obama administration is stretching out its hand to Iran which some analysts feel is a prelude to some sort of geopolitical “Grand Bargain” on the lines of that made between the US and the Shah.
Linda S. Heard is a British specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She welcomes feedback and can be contacted by email at heardonthegrapevines@yahoo.co.uk.