"I can think of no other issue that unites the Arab street more than the Palestinian one, but most Arab governments’ response to Israel’s attacks since October 7 isn’t surprising or unpredictable. One cannot expect Arab governments to advocate for the liberation of Palestine when some have stopped advocating for the cause altogether for years."
February 14, 2024
I can think of no other issue that unites the Arab street more than the Palestinian one, but most Arab governments’ response to Israel’s attacks since October 7 isn’t surprising or unpredictable. One cannot expect Arab governments to advocate for the liberation of Palestine when some have stopped advocating for the cause altogether for years. As of today, despite Israel’s atrocities, six Arab countries have normalized relations with Israel: Egypt in 1979, Jordan in 1994, UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan in 2020. If the Arab world were united by the glue that is the Palestinian cause, we would not have seen such indifference. In contrast to their leadership, since October 7, we have seen the true face of the Arab street, where impressive actions in solidarity with Palestine came from non-governmental groups, which are themselves at odds with their own government.
Fatima Haidar