by Ghassan Khatib - Bitterlemons 26/3/2006  

The upcoming Arab League summit to be convened in Riyadh this week comes at a time of growing concern over the absence of regional order, the minimal level of Arab unity and coordination and the lack of overall leadership.
Regional conflicts and external interference have devastated the Arab world to an unprecedented degree. Hand in hand with this there has been a process of radicalization and political Islamization in the region that is contributing to widening the gaps between the Arab region and the rest of the world to include cultural and ideological levels as well as the existing gaps in terms of economic and social development.

The most pressing issues that require joint action and strong leadership are first, the bleeding wound that is Iraq--with all its regional ramifications, including the exploitation of that conflict by Iran to extend its growing influence in parts of the Arab world, a development perceived as a threat to the national security of some Arab countries, particularly in the Gulf.

Second is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, especially in its regional dimension. There is a growing belief that without a solution to this conflict, and by leaving the Palestinians to the mercy of the Israelis and thus continued suffering and injustice, the regional picture is complicated and regimes with an interest in regional stability and de-radicalization are endangered.

The explosive situation in Lebanon is another area of concern that requires the attention of the Arab League, especially since the problems there are a function of the policies of some Arab and regional countries that are exploiting Lebanese vulnerabilities for their own interests.

The Saudi success in hammering out the Mecca agreement that ended internecine fighting in Gaza, as well as the growing international and regional interest in Arab initiatives, have encouraged the Saudi leadership in their efforts for this summit, which is set to focus primarily but not only on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The growing conviction internationally, but especially in Washington, of the need to reactivate the political process between Israelis and Palestinians has also encouraged the Arabs to unify their efforts and activate their diplomacy.

It has yet to be ascertained whether the Israeli leadership and the internal political situation in Israel are conducive to such constructive political activities, however. The test that Arabs and other concerned parties have to set for Israel in order to judge its willingness to respond to these efforts and determine the Israeli desire for a solution is to obligate Israel to end measures that consolidate the occupation.

Since the Arab peace initiative considers a peaceful solution to the conflict one that adheres to international law, Israel needs to prove its willingness and ability to end those practices that contradict international legitimacy. Prime among those, of course, are an end to settlement construction and construction of the wall as well as Jews-only road networks in the West Bank. But Israel must also show a readiness to ease restrictions on Palestinian movement in order to allow for an improvement of living conditions.

The success of this Arab summit is important not only for the Arabs but also for anyone with an interest in Middle East stability, including Israel and the United States. Should the summit fail to show progress toward the settlement of some of the regional conflicts, it will only reinforce the radical elements in the region.- Published 26/3/2007 © bitterlemons.org

Ghassan Khatib is coeditor of the bitterlemons family of internet publications. He is vice-president of Birzeit University and a former Palestinian Authority minister of planning.