After talks, it’s time for action

If the Arab world wants to solve the Syrian situation, it needs to take firm action, writes Radwan Al Sayyed in Al Itihad.

What happened at the Arab League Summit in Kuwait was unusual, or at least, unexpected. Observers expected the Palestinian issue, the Syrian crisis and terrorism to be topics of discussion. Many predicted Arab conflicts wouldn’t be resolved nor quelled, but rather put on hold for the duration of the summit. And yet, there are issues that must be addressed and these highlight the various Arab stakeholders’ priorities.

When it comes to commonalities among summit attendees, the Palestinian issue and terrorism top the list. It was imperative to send out a message about the Palestinian issue before Barack Obama’s visit to Saudi Arabia to confirm the Arab countries’ unequivocal rejection of any acknowledgement of Israel as a Jewish nation. Negotiations that began 10 months ago are nearing their culmination. This would be the third of four rounds of negotiations during Mr Obama’s term that began with strong impetus only to end without any significant results other than more Israeli settlements being built.

This time around, however, in an attempt to avoid an impasse in negotiations, the US came up with an invention called the “framework agreement”, which would be accepted by both sides while they reserve the right to object to any points they don’t agree to.

On the Palestinian side, it soon appeared that the framework agreement contained several points that can’t be approved: abolishing the right of return, determining borders, security, water, Jerusalem and, most importantly, the acknowledgement of Israel as a Jewish state.

But Palestinians are entitled to self-determination. As matters stand today, Palestinians make up one-third of the population of occupied Palestine.

UN resolution No. 194 gave millions of Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homes. How would they be allowed to exercise their right or even seek indemnity for it should it be repealed?

US sources have revealed that Mr Obama and his secretary of state John Kerry are keen on presenting the framework agreement to Saudi Arabia to enlist its help in influencing Palestinians to agree at least continue negotiating.

Along with all other Arab countries, Saudi was clear on an unambiguous rejection of this point.

Two other common denominators existed among delegates at the summit, but they were grossly lacking in Kuwait’s convention: terrorism and the Syrian tragedy.

Terrorism, in the repertoire of the convening Arab delegates, designates Al Qaeda and its affiliates wreaking havoc in Egypt, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, in addition to other Arab and non-Arab countries.

This is why I said the emphasis put on the issue of terrorism was lacking. Iran, for instance, openly wields armed groups that are actively committing killings in at least four Arab countries – Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen – for sectarian and nationalist reasons.

International bodies have listed Hizbollah, or at least its military wing, as a terrorist organisation. The Americans say [Shiite] groups such as the Abu Al Fadl Al Abbas Brigade and Asaifb Ahl Al Haq (League of the Righteous) are death squads operating in Iraq and Syria.

Meanwhile, in Yemen, Iranians continue to support sectarian Houthis and separatists in the south. The leader of the separatist movement resides in Lebanon, where he is harboured by Hizbollah.Why should this form of terrorism be condoned?

The terrorism practised by Iran and its affiliated groups are as much a threat to us in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq as that of Al Qaeda and its affiliates.

Positions vis-à-vis the Syrian tragedy were also blatantly lacking at the summit.

Algeria and Iraq objected to the dossier altogether and Lebanon continued to distance itself from it. Many delegates spoke of a political solution, although they all know that no tangible outcomes could be hoped for from the Geneva 2 conference in view of the Russian position, which became even worse following the Ukrainian debacle.

It isn’t sufficient to talk about the sombre humanitarian disaster and the brutality of the regime and terrorism in Syria.

Syria is an Arab country and it falls on Arabs to devise the solution to rescue it, be it peaceful or otherwise.

Those who insist on a peaceful solution to end the bloodshed in Syria should create balance on the ground by organising and arming the Syrian opposition to allow it to defend itself and civilians. If they feel that they don’t trust the armed opposition, let them deploy 10,000 or 20,000 of their trusted troops to Syria.

I realise these are thorny suggestions, but the Syrian tragedy has gone beyond all limits. Soon enough, Syria will be lost to us and to its people.

It is customary for Arabs after every summit to say that although their resolutions were humble, it is important that they be implemented.

But this last summit didn’t even come up with resolutions that require implementation.

We shouldn’t ignore the desolation we, in the Arab world, are deeply immersed in amid internal turmoil, terrorism and the pervasiveness of other nations around us.

Dr Radwan Al Sayyed is a professor of Islamic studies at the Lebanese University and the director of the Higher Institute of Islamic Studies in Beirut. The original Arabic version of this piece appeared in The National’s sister paper, Al Ittihad