The closing session of the Arab Strategic Forum hosted Prince Turki Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, the Diplomatic Advisor to His Highness the President, Dr. Anwar Gargash, and the former Egyptian Foreign Minister, Nabil Fahmy. The session was held by journalist and media personality Imad El-Din Adeeb.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal said: “If we go back to the period of the Shah of Iran’s rule in the 1970s, we see that his relationship with decision-makers and American officials was on the basis that he was the ‘policeman of the Gulf’, and therefore he was given the military and diplomatic capabilities that would enable him to carry out that mission. On the other hand, there was an American agreement with Israel, to be the “policeman of the Mediterranean,” and then there was close cooperation between the two parties, Iran and Israel, but the Iranian revolution scattered and mixed all the cards.”
Al-Faisal continued: “However, cooperation between Israel and Iran continued, even after the Iranian revolution. As happened in the Iran-Iraq war, as an example of the Iran-Contra scandal or Irangate. So, there is no doubt that there is a mixture between this triangle (America, Israel, Iran); The Biden administration is still seeking to conclude the nuclear agreement with Iran, regardless of harming the interests of the Arab countries, specifically the Gulf countries.”
Prince Turki Al-Faisal said: “There have been several contacts between Saudi Arabia and America, for the sake of what is called normalization with Israel, but the consistent Saudi position is that the Palestinian issue is resolved first, and then what can happen in terms of bringing peace to the region will follow. The Kingdom was not satisfied with that, but invited a delegation from the Palestinian Authority to meet with the American envoy for this initiative, as the Kingdom does not speak on behalf of the Palestinians. The Kingdom also imposed conditions on the United States regarding armament and types of weapons, if these attempts go forward.
Dr. Anwar Gargash said: “There is an immoral and inhumane attack on Gaza, and I believe that we have two parallel tasks before us, the first of which is solidarity with the Palestinian people and their cause, in parallel with looking to the future.”
He added: “We must stand up to the Israeli arrogance that marginalizes the loss of life that we see in Gaza, and a political path must be found to end the Israeli occupation.”
He pointed out that the UAE leadership is aware of the circumstances surrounding the region, so it works as if it is part of this time and place. With this awareness, it is trying to manage the current crises, most notably the Gaza war. In return, it has the task of arming itself with science and strengthening the economy. He said: “Arab patriotism is fighting three battles: The first is the battle of its position in the world, and whether we will let this world advance while we fall behind, even though there are successful experiences in the Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The second battle is with non-Arab regional countries: how do we coexist with Iran, which is a very large beneficiary of the Gaza war, while Turkey is reviewing its role through its support of many activist Islamist groups. Therefore, we must find frameworks for dealing with Iran. Then we come to Israel, and I say: We must find a political path to end the Israeli occupation, stand up to Israeli arrogance, and deal with what it is doing in Gaza. The third battle is internal, meaning that there are calls to marginalize the Arab national state, and the Arab official system, in favor of militias. The national state is the one that must be active in various issues, such as the issues of Gaza and Sudan and others, in order to convince the Arab masses that the Arab official system has its tools and has “His influence.” Dr. Anwar Gargash stressed that “the relationship between the UAE and Saudi Arabia is a model for Arab relations. Every positive thing in Saudi Arabia is positive for the UAE and vice versa.”
For his part, Nabil Fahmy said that the world is currently going through a perfect storm. After there were two poles, it became one pole, then multiple poles…and these poles do not know what they want, including the United States. America does not know whether it wants to be a global state or a great country?! Because there is a difference between the two.
Fahmy continued: “As Arabs, we must not depend on others too much, but without isolation, we must build our capabilities and cooperate regionally and internationally. On the other hand, taking the initiative in dealing with regional issues, including making clear decisions, and by that I mean obliging everyone to respect the law. As the backbone of Arab security is respect for the law, if we cannot impose respect for the law as the basis of international relations, we will pay the price. This applies to the situation in Gaza.”
Anwar Gargash:
• We have two tasks before us: solidarity with the Palestinian people and their cause… in parallel with looking to the future.
• We must stand up to Israeli arrogance…and find a political path to end the occupation.
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