A summit of Arab and Islamic countries held this week in Riyadh has made it clear that when it comes to building stability and peace in the Middle East, the Palestinians’ right to a state of their own is non-negotiable. At the same time, actions and statements coming from Israel’s increasingly ideological leadership suggest that the country is not hearing the critical points its neighbours are rightly making.
Since Donald Trump’s re-election as America's next president, political moves in Israel suggest that the current government believes it may soon have an even more sympathetic ear in the White House. Indeed, there is some evidence to support this assumption. In 2018, the Trump administration ordered that the US embassy in Israel by moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The controversial decision infuriated Palestinians and their supporters but provided a diplomatic fillip to Israel’s government.
That confidence has been on display in the past week. On Sunday, Israel Katz – a security hardliner picked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to replace sacked defence minister and political rival Yoav Gallant – engaged in some military hubris by claiming that Israeli forces had defeated Hezbollah in Lebanon. Yesterday, Mr Katz tweeted there would be “no respite” there and ruled out a ceasefire.
Days after the US election result, Mr Netanyahu revealed American-born Yechiel Leiter – widely reported to be an ardent supporter of Israel’s settler movement – as his pick for new ambassador to Washington. On Monday, illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land were again in the spotlight, with ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich welcoming Mr Trump’s election win and declaring that next year would see the imposition of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank.
All three cases point to an Israeli leadership that feels important new political opportunities are at hand. However, the reality is very different.
In Riyadh, leading figures from Arab and Muslim nations spoke as one in emphasising the centrality of Palestine and Lebanon to peace in the region. In a speech delivered during the summit’s opening session on Monday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman directly addressed “the necessity of establishing a Palestinian state and preserving Lebanese sovereignty”. Saudi Arabia "reaffirms its condemnation and utter rejection of the genocide perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinian people," he added.
On the same day in Abu Dhabi, Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed, also made it clear there would be no sidelining of the Palestinian question. Speaking at the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate, he told attendees that a “policy of containment” regarding Palestine had failed. “At the present time, it is vital to identify that not all crises stem from the Palestinian issue, yet it undeniably remains central to conflicts in our region,” he added.
If Israeli figures are mobilising to take advantage of this transition period in the US, it is apparent that Arab and Muslim opinion is similarly motivated to make its position felt. And although Israel may perceive the coming Trump administration as being more amenable to its objectives, it may find the new US president to be much less doctrinaire than some members of Israel’s Cabinet.
“I like two-state solution. I like two-state solution” Mr Trump said before a bilateral meeting with Mr Netanyahu in September 2018. “That’s what I think works best. I don’t even have to speak to anybody, that’s my feeling,” he added. Given Mr Trump’s reported desire to see the wars in Gaza and Lebanon ended before his inauguration, Israeli policies that would perpetuate conflict in the region may not be met with unrestrained approval by the White House. It would be wiser instead to listen to what many neighbouring Arab countries are saying about the road to peace.
