Page 7 - Issue-23

6 ELITE Vol.1 No.23 September 2020 |

The current threats to the Arab system are not new

yet their tempo increased since 2010

relationship that we should have; the current Turkish and Iranian
later to the Palestinian territories. Because a continuation of
policies will not allow this in the short run. Nevertheless, I have to
current Israeli policies without a deterrent will inevitably
keep thinking about the mechanism by which we can establish
stir a reaction within Palestine. Although the Palestinians
cooperation with Turkey and Iran. And Mr. Amr Mousa, during his
have taken too long to realize their national unity, they will
tenure as secretary general of the Arab League, presented an initiative
have to do so if they want their basic rights and the equation
for an association titled “League of Arab Neighbors,” which wasn’t
will begin to change.
confined to Iran and Turkey; it included neighboring countries such
as Chad, where Arabic is an official language. However, his initiative
8. In September of last year, we asked a group of
was turned down due to these Turkish and Iranian policies that harm
sophomore students (first-year political science majors)
Arab interests.
who was Egypt’s primary enemy; Israel – thank God –
ranked first, although Qatar, Iran, and Turkey had their
7. After talking about neighboring powers, we ought to mention
shares among the answers. In your view, generally, why
the occupying power in the heart of the Arab World, which is
has the perception of Israel as our primary enemy
Israel; how do you read the rising wave of naturalization, the
shifted for some people and why have they started to
latest of which is the United Arab Emirates’ agreement?
develop hostility towards other regional powers than
Israel?
Indicators show that the Emirati-Israeli agreement will not be the last
since it has received clear support from Oman, Bahrain and Sudan;
First, we cannot forget that the developments that led to an
although it seems to me that there is some sort of duality in Sudan
Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty and a Jordanian-Israeli one
between the military and civil components of the regime. And we’ve
must have had their effect on some people. Second, some
seen its indicators in the statement of the Foreign Affairs Spokesman
people might have also been affected by the clear
who was then removed from his position and the Burhan-Netanyahu
antagonistic policies towards Egypt and other Arab
meeting before that.
countries by states such as Turkey and Iran; obviously, there
has to be a reaction to Turkish interventions in the region.
We are now facing a new division in the Arab World between those
Third, the deteriorating conditions of the Arab World might
who race to neutralize relations with Israel under current conditions
have shaken people’s faith in the Arab idea and its utility.
and those who refuse this race and condition neutralization on a
Therefore, I’m not worried that some people see Israel as no
solution to the Palestinian issue. Actually, we have a specific
longer an enemy since the number of this group of people is
reference, which is the Arab Initiative that was unanimously agreed to
still very small, I believe. I’m not concerned either that
at the Beirut Summit in 2002. This initiative explicitly mentions
some have started to regard Turkey or Iran as their primary
neutralization provided that Israel withdraws from the lands it is
enemy since there are actual hostile acts emanating from
occupying and the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem
these two countries against some Arab states. For instance,
as its capital. Thus, the Arab states that have either objected to or
in Egypt right now, you can’t detect a direct threatening
expressed reservations regarding the recent developments have
Israeli act – and I emphasize the word direct as Israeli
Nourhan Osama, Youstina Ebeid, Maries Adel, Nadeen Hesham, Nouran Hossam, Mostafa Sayyed, Reem
resorted to this initiative; among these positions was the Arab League
policies in their essence are a threat to Egyptian national
Omran , Zeina Tarek, Hana Henien, Hania Bahaa, Yassmine Gamal Hussein, Salma Bayoumi, Mariam Sultan,
as expressed by its secretary general Mr. Ahmed Abou el Gheit as
security – however, you can detect Turkish actions; thus, I
Nada Hosny, Jozeph George , Farah Ezz Eldin, Aliyaa Assem, Assile Mostafa, Rana Doss, Mirna Ossama,
well as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
can excuse those who give primacy to the Turkish threat, for
Farah Islam, Zeina Arafa.
If these developments continue, the center stage will move sooner or
example.
| Vol.1 No.23 September 2020 |