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In the first part of this series, DR QURAYSHA ISMAIL SOOLIMAN explained that we should understand the role of the Emerging Arab leadership in the current Gaza crisis instead of averting blame. In part two she looks at why the military response from the Arab countries did not unfold.
IN the aftermath of the Israeli attacks on Gaza post-October 7, the anticipated military responses from Hezbollah, Iran and Syria, as well as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Egypt and Qatar, did not unfold as expected. Rather than following the predicted scripts, Arab nations employed strategic deliberation. The Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) and the Arab League engaged in consultations, while alliances in BRICS considered their positions. This strategic decision-making did not materialise suddenly in October 2023; it marked the culmination of a gradual process, considering various factors.
The assessment of Türkiye’s role in NATO and how to leverage this position was also crucial. Türkiye, a NATO ally, holds significance as a transit country for energy pipelines crucial to global markets. Complicating matters, Germany staunchly supports Israel, is enabling the genocide and maintains an adversarial stance towards Türkiye, despite both being NATO allies. Erdogan’s visit to Germany in November 2023, advocating for a humanitarian pause in Gaza, revealed conflicting perspectives. Notably, Türkiye’s president, Recep Erdogan, had declared Hamas as a resistance fighter group, contrasting with the views of other NATO members.
In a significant development, four Muslim-majority nations, namely Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran and Egypt, joined BRICS in 2024. Before this formal alliance, Saudi Arabia initiated conciliatory efforts with Yemen and Iran, indicating a regional realignment. Notably, Saudi Arabia extended an invitation to Syria’s Bashar al-Assad to rejoin the Arab League. This geopolitical shift emphasises priorities such as de-dollarisation, establishing a BRICS bank and a commitment to peace and development. The underlying message is clear – Arab and Muslim lives cannot be trivialised, no more stealing from Arab nations and enough of the bullying.
Arab and Muslim rulers needed to restrain themselves to expose the savagery of the Zionists and keep the camera focused only on Palestine. If you paid careful attention, you could feel the frustration and desperation of the Americans and the Zionists. They are strutting like headless chickens and more recently, like rabid dogs. The plan had always been that they would continue their ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinians as usual, step up on the pace and brutality and use the Arab reactions to perpetuate the notion of Israeli victimhood and Muslim barbarity.
It would have been said, ‘You see, hostile Arab nations surround Israel, they hate us, they hate our democracy, our freedoms, our civilisation.’ Instead of seeing the humanity and suffering of the Palestinians, it would have been five months of Islamophobic gymnastics. The extent of their vileness has fully surfaced because their plans to blame the Arabs and vilify Islam backfired. The cost has been unbearable in terms of Palestinian suffering, but the veils have lifted. Gaza did this. Palestinians in the diaspora are unafraid to claim their identity and South Africans have been saved from a great disaster. Had Gaza not opened our eyes, we would have fallen into the trap of believing that apartheid could not come back. It can; if we give a greater vote to parties like the Democratic Alliance, ActionSA and Patriotic Alliance. The strategy, like Islamophobia and Afrophobia, has always been the same – divide and conquer.
Algeria has been actively advocating for a lasting solution to the Palestinian issue and also drafted a Resolution to the UN Security Council that asked for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The US vetoed the Arab-backed resolution, making it the US’s third veto of such a resolution. The Algerian resistance rejected French attempts at subtle reform, which were aimed at dividing the masses and curbing political autonomy in response to uprisings. The reformist tactics offered limited rights to select Algerians, perpetuating a colonial concept of superiority and the need to ‘civilise’ those deemed inferior. This is the same tactic and language of Israel and settler colonial states generally. Significantly, it is France who helped Israel build its nuclear capabilities and took the toughest line on counter-proliferation when it came to Iran.
In a strategic move, the young Arab leaders, in collaboration with their BRICS partners, are steering the global alliance towards International Law, distancing themselves from a rules-based system.
The Qatari representative at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearings said, ‘We believe that establishing international peace and justice is only possible through international law. We reject double standards and international law must apply to everyone.’ The International Law approach is the only viable option. South Africa, as part of BRICS, possessed the necessary credentials to address the issues of apartheid and genocide at the ICJ. Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, known for her ethical, eloquent and fearless stance, has diligently advocated for ending the occupation. China and Russia, despite their domestic challenges, recognise the significance of containing US influence in the region, aligning with their allies and friends to seek an alternative to the existing gangster-driven world order led by the US. India, part of BRICS, plays a role in this paradigm shift, despite its Islamophobic tendencies. A significant portion of its economy is buoyed by Indian workers in Muslim-majority countries, sending remittances back home. The first strategy in this waltz of diplomacy that would drive for a world order based on International Law, was to still the flames of conflict amongst themselves – Saudi Arabia, Yemen, UAE, Iran, Egypt, Hezbollah and Syria.
Yemen is in the company of the new kingmakers and is the ‘most valuable player’ (MVP) of the global friendship parade! Yemen controls the Bab-al Mandab Strait which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. This small strait is essential to global shipping. Yemen’s crew is the real force – an unsung alliance of resilience and camaraderie that makes even the mightiest geopolitical blocs look like yesterday’s news. Saudi Arabia and the UAE declined to join the US’s gangster coalition, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to bomb Yemen. Oman refused to open its airspace to the miscreants. The Omani people have also intensified boycotts of the multinationals identified by BDS as giving material support to the Zionist regime.
Then there is Egypt. Seven years after the initial order signed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in 2016, officially transferring the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia in September 2023, the geopolitical landscape reflects a significant move. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s visit to Cairo in 2023, accompanied by a multi-billion-dollar investment package for Egypt, signals Saudi Arabia’s endeavour to revitalise and strengthen Egypt as a strategic partner within BRICS+. The strategic alignment between Egypt and Saudi Arabia raises questions about Egypt’s involvement in potential initiatives backed by the US-supported Israeli state, such as the expulsion of Gazans into the Sinai and the proposed Ben Gurion Canal Project. Why would Egypt open its borders and do the bidding of the US-backed apartheid state of Israel which would not only strangle Egypt’s Suez Canal income but would be a new strategic route for deviant Western powers to continuously destabilise the Middle East?
With control over key global waterways now in the hands of Muslim-majority countries with robust leadership, united within the BRICS+ alliance, the geopolitical landscape undergoes a transformative shift. Russia’s consistent support for Iran and Syria further strengthens this coalition. According to President Jimmy Carter’s National Security Advisor from 1977 to 1981, Zbigniew Brzezinski, an anti-hegemonic coalition of China, Russia and Iran posed a threat to US dominance, as it would be grounded not in ideology but shared grievances.
By aligning themselves with the BRICS bloc, which draws substantial support from global South countries the recent ICJ ruling in favour of South Africa and the support thereafter serves as a testament to the international community’s solidarity with Palestine. Arab leaders have begun dismantling consensus by western states for the genocide and occupation. Brazilian President Lula da Silva’s comparison of Israel’s actions against Hamas in Gaza to Hitler’s action is resonating in Latin America. The move by Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, February 7, to nullify the Biden administration’s attempts to normalise relations with Israel carries profound implications. The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement emphasising their unwavering stance, asserting that diplomatic relations with Israel hinge on the recognition of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia demands a halt to Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of all occupation forces from the region.
In a parallel commitment to humanitarian efforts, Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief signed a $10 million deal with the World Health Organization to support Gaza. Ambassador Reema Bandar Al-Saud, representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States, underscored the nation’s dedication to prioritising peace and prosperity in leading the Middle East toward stability amidst ongoing geopolitical volatility. On February 8, 2024, Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman noted to the US special envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, Saudi Arabia’s commitment to ‘promoting dialogue among parties to reach a political solution under UN supervision’. It was him saying: we are making peace with Yemen.
In this intricate orchestration, warmongering entities like Israel and the US find no foothold and deserve no quarter. Our collective vision, at times constrained by the influence of media oligarchs directing our attention to perceived chaos, may have obscured the meticulous dance of diplomacy, strategic alliances, regional realignment and the consolidation of a geopolitical shift unfolding before us. This choreography has effectively united most of the global South under the protective canopy of China.
Amidst the rhythmic movements of this dance, the central motif is the pursuit of freedom from occupation for Palestine. The key lies in the strategic response of Arab states to the nuclear-backed apartheid state of Israel, a response crucial for isolating Israel and dismantling the occupation through the channels of International Law and majority consensus.
Before we hastily cast blame upon the Arab nations, it behoves us to recall that succumbing to the divisive tactics wielded by racist, gangster states only inflicts harm upon ourselves and the Palestinian cause. Acknowledging imperfections on all sides, it becomes imperative to recognise the winds of change blowing a new generation of Arab leaders, marked by vigour and determination and concerted efforts. It is in these currents that our investments should be wisely placed.
As the Wise Creator exalts us in the Quran, ‘Prepare against them what you believers can of military power and cavalry to deter Allah’s enemies and your enemies as well as other enemies unknown to you but known to Allah. Whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be paid to you in full and you will not be wronged.’ (Surah al-Anfal, The Spoils of War, 8:60)
- Quraysha Ismail Sooliman is a NIHSS post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Political Science at the University of Pretoria.
