Why in news?

Saudi Arabia recently hosted a summit involving leaders from Arab and Islamic nations to address the escalating crisis in Palestine.

The leaders collectively called for an immediate cessation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon. The discussions underscored the urgent need for protecting Palestinian lives, respecting international law, and pursuing a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

What’s in today’s article?

• Gaza war
• Riyadh Summit – outcome, significance
• Current status of Saudi-Israel ties
• Possibility of Arab World Joining the war

Gaza war

• It refers to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the governing militant group in Gaza.
• Triggered by the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, the war has escalated with Israel's extensive airstrikes and ground offensives in Gaza.
• The conflict has resulted in severe humanitarian crises, widespread destruction, and heightened tensions across West Asia.

Riyadh Summit – outcome, significance

• Outcome
  • In their closing statement, Arab and Islamic leaders condemned Israel's military actions in Gaza as "shocking crimes," including "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing."
  • They called for an independent international investigation into these acts.
  • The summit urged measures to end Israeli occupation.
  • It emphasized establishing a sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the two-state solution and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
• Significance
  • In recent years, some Arab nations normalized ties with Israel, bypassing the Palestine issue and deviating from the Arab Peace Initiative, which linked recognition of Israel to the creation of a Palestinian state.
  • The 2020 Abraham Accords, involving the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, offered no concessions to Palestinians, unlike earlier agreements.
    • Earlier agreements such as Egypt's 1979 peace deal and Jordan's 1994 treaty, included steps towards Palestinian autonomy.
  • Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and Israel’s retaliatory actions, Arab nations condemned Israel but avoided direct confrontation.
  • At the Riyadh summit, they collectively expressed anger over Israel’s actions and emphasized that resolving the Palestine issue is essential for lasting peace in West Asia.

Current status of Saudi-Israel ties

• In September 2023, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman indicated progress toward normalizing ties with Israel, aligning with U.S. and Israeli goals for regional diplomacy.
• However, the October 7 Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent war on Gaza altered dynamics.
• While Arab nations, wary of Iran, had sought closer ties with Israel, the widespread destruction in Gaza has fueled strong anti-Israel sentiments in the Arab world.
• Saudi Arabia, balancing its opposition to Hamas with the public mood, emphasized that any normalization with Israel must include resolving the Palestine issue.
• At the Riyadh summit, Crown Prince Mohammed criticized Israel’s actions as “genocide,” signaling a decline in Saudi-Israel relations over the past year.

Possibility of Arab World Joining the war

• The October 7 Hamas attack and Israel's war on Gaza have significantly shifted West Asia’s dynamics.
• Since the 1973 war, no Arab state has attacked Israel, and despite Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, peace between Arab nations and Israel persisted.
• Before October 7, Arab countries were moving closer to normalizing ties with Israel, sidelining the Palestine issue.
• However, the war derailed this process, with even the UAE now linking support for Israel to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
• Meanwhile, Arab states and Iran have entered a tactical detente, pausing their longstanding rivalry.
  • Iran and the Arabs have learned to co-exist, at least for now.
• This marks a strategic realignment in the region, bringing the Palestine issue back to the forefront and shelving Arab-Israel normalization efforts.
• Despite all this realignment, experts believe the possibility of Arab world joining the war is highly unlikely.