The Arabs don’t need watchmen

Arab collective strength through unity allows the region to better cooperate with the West

Has the Arab world put too much trust in the West? Jean-Christophe Bott / AP Photo

Given the current regional upheaval, the persistent question of Arab unity is a pressing one. Recent calls to create a unified Arab fighting force similar to Nato reflect a growing appetite for deeper military cooperation at time when the West’s relationship with the region is changing. Last week’s announcement that the P5+1 have hammered out the contours of a deal with Iran over the country’s nuclear weapons programme underlines the shifting dynamics between the West and the Middle East.

Mohammed Al Hammadi, the editor-in-chief of The National's Arabic-language sister newspaper Al Ittihad, wrote a thoughtful editorial yesterday unpacking the new reality facing the region and how Arabs should react to it. In the piece, which was carried in The National in English translation, Al Hammadi argued that the Arab world should no longer accept Iranian, Turkish or Israeli "watchmen" in the Middle East. We Arabs on the other coast of the Arabian Gulf, he wrote, have the knowledge and resources to govern our own affairs free from foreign influence. The continuing Saudi-led campaign in Yemen against Houthi expansion is a perfect example of how Arabs can join forces to set their own destiny. This action should and must be emulated as different challenges arise, argued Al Hammadi.

Debates about Arab independence and the west have plagued leaders for decades. In today’s reality, however, western partnership is a crucial aspect of how politics operate in this region and shouldn’t be discounted or simply removed. This is not about dominating the region but rather taking responsibility for our shared future.

When it comes to the United States in particular, the Arab world benefits from its partnership in many realms from commerce to security cooperation. Let’s build on this partnership and not destroy it. The region has expended vast amounts of financial and political capital on the western partnership. Through Arab unity, military cooperation and shared values, we can continue to see the Middle East excel – but in the manner of our own choosing.