Arab League Summit: More of the Same

What? You expected progress? No, the Arab League chooses to keep their collective heads buried in the sand of the past.

This week’s gathering of Arab leaders won’t open the doors to establishing ties with Israel because of opposition from Syria and other hard-line countries. Still, some Arab nations are moving forward with a more welcoming stance on peace.

Some had predicted the summit, which opens Tuesday, would be “historic” in dealing with rapid changes in the Middle East: huge demonstrations in Lebanon and a Syrian military pullback there, new optimism in the peace process and increasing pressure for democratic change.

In the end, it won’t be so daring. Arab League leaders are largely avoiding the issues of Lebanon and democratic reform, and they rejected Jordan’s proposal for a new peace strategy that would offer Israel normal relations and drop the traditional demand that it first return Arab lands. Instead, they’re likely to pay lip service to Syria’s concerns about U.S. pressure and consider reform of the Arab League itself.

The world is changing around and among them. Despite this, the nations of the Arab League whistle the same old tiring tune that has led nowhere, demanding Israeli withdrawal to its pre-1967 borders, a Palestinian state with a capital in Jerusalem and a resolution to the Palestinian refugee problem.

Also frozen in time are the wonderful relationships between the various members.

The gathering will be attended by only 13 of the 22 leaders. The others are staying away for health reasons or because of personal disputes.

For example, Crown Prince Abdullah, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, is not participating apparently because of the presence of Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi, whom Saudi officials accuse of involvement in a plot to kill Abdullah.

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Jordan’s King Abdullah II is staying away from the summit, apparently angered by the dismissal of his proposal. His government had argued a new stance would encourage Israel to make concessions in the peace process.

As the Middle East nations try to maintain bouyancy above growing and tumultuous undercurrents of democracy, not all voices are silent about the nothing-new nature of the summit.

And despite pressure from Washington for democratic reform, the summit will largely avoid the issue. Instead, the leaders are focusing on reforming the Arab League by endorsing a plan to set up an “Arab parliament” an unelected consultative body for the league.

In an article in the Arab daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, columnist Abdel-Rahman al-Rashid criticized the league for failing to deal with major issues facing the Middle East.

“What is the benefit of a summit or even the League itself when it hides, waiting for each crisis to end by itself,” he wrote. “It is ridiculous that the summit has promised Arabs a big achievement, an Arab parliament. Is this what Arabs want? Another symbolic chatting council?”

What benefit? Only the holding back of the hands of time.

Comments

One response to “Arab League Summit: More of the Same”

  1. Raven Avatar

    It’s just an excuse…Israel. Long before Israel was a part of the scene over there, the middle east was in turmoil with one another. And they have always had horrible human rights issues.