Despite the pressures of regional forces, the attendees at the Arab Summit wished for Tunisia to be the summit of cooperation, as a unanimous choice was made to recover stability and to put an end to the fueled crises that exist in more than one part of the Arab world, which has suffered and is still suffering from chaos, in addition to the implications of the Arab Spring, and also the war in Syria and Yemen, which were followed by a wave of terrorism that has destroyed countries and affected the whole region.
Since its establishment on March 22, 1945, the Arab League’s primary goal has been to strengthen the relationships between the member nations, to organize cooperation, to preserve their independence and sovereignty, and to look after their general interests and issues. Furthermore, the Arab League has taken many steps and witnessed many endeavors to restructure and modernize the regional Arab system, which has become more divided than it was after its establishment more than 70 years ago.
Moreover, the pressures of foreign regional forces like Iran, Turkey, and Israel, which the Arab nations are suffering from now, is unprecedented. Further, the Arab world is conflicted as to whether impose its priorities and interests, while these forces threaten its sovereignty, from the interference of Iran and Turkey in the region to the annexation of the Golan Heights, and Israel’s control over it, with the latter posing great danger to the safety and the work of Arab nations’ that have never faced times as challenging as these before, especially as these conflicts are being handled from outside the Arab framework.
A family photo ahead of opening session within the 30th Arab League Summit in Tunis. Yassine Gaidi - Anadolu Agency
It is also worth noting that Israel occupied the Golan Heights during the 1967 war and annexed it in 1981, a step that the nations refused to acknowledge, and they have criticized Donald Trump’s declaration of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
Despite the challenges that the Arab League is facing, it has succeeded in forming ties with influential forces around the world. In this regard, cooperation between China and the Arab nations is taking place, in addition to the strengthening of ties with the European Union and Western countries to address a plethora of common issues and challenges, including migration and border safety in the region.
Amid the lack of stability in the region, it is of great importance to solve the Palestinian issue in a manner which preserves East Jerusalem’s Arab identity, in addition to ensuring total and ongoing peace in the Middle East as a strategic Arab decision embodied by initiatives, along with bringing Syria back into the arms of the Arab League and helping with the political transition of the regime, which will help create stability in the region.