... abound, and these were just a few. Anyway, it’s clear that the Palestinian problem, which was initially at the heart of the entire Arab-Israeli conflict, has returned to the centerstage of international attention, whereas further normalization of Saudi Arabia’s relations with Israel has been indefinitely postponed.
From the Arab-Israeli wars to the Palestinian-Israeli settlement
Aleksandr Aksenenok:
Statehood in the Middle East: In Search of New Models
If we review the dynamics of the conflict ...
... (should the organization withstand the onslaught of Israeli Defense Forces) is making a bid for leadership in the Palestinian house.
HAMAS’s latest actions suggest that the movement can afford not to depend on its Arab neighbors. The UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia (the latter wishes to preserve the possibility of establishing public relations with Israel as part of a deal with the US) are downright treacherous to HAMAS followers, given what is going on in Palestine. Furthermore, Arab regimes securing ...
... transformations in their positions are not excluded, as partly demonstrated by the international meeting in Jeddah in August 2023.
The Global South embarks upon the path of diplomacy
In August, it became known about the consultations held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with the participation of the U.S., the UK, the EU, Turkey, Brazil, India, China and South Africa on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. It is noteworthy that representatives of Ukraine attended the meeting, while Russia did not receive ...
... illiberal democracy with a strong central authority, a kind of “new conservatism.” In the Arab public consciousness, this supreme, often charismatic, power is not perceived as autocratic.
In view of choosing new or hybrid models, state-building in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Arab states of the Persian Gulf are certainly worthy of attention. Five years ago, with the rise of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia embarked upon a path of structural reforms accompanied by a gradual replacement ...
... showing signs that is it changing. It would not be an overstatement to say that a lot of what is happening now would have been unthinkable just a couple of years ago.
The greatest of these changes is the China-mediated rapprochement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Given that these countries are regional “centers of power”, their new and improved relations may help reduce regional tensions in certain countries like Yemen.
Another significant factor that is driving ...
... government. The leaders of the UAE and Oman received visits from President Bashar Assad, while Algeria openly called for the return of Syria to the LAS in November 2022 at a summit held in the country’s capital. Yet, it is believed that the tough stance of Saudi Arabia, unhappy with Damascus’ close ties with Tehran, was an obstacle. The March agreement to reduce tensions between the KSA and the IRI apparently changed the Kingdom’s attitude towards Bashar al-Assad for the better. Riyadh’s approach ...
China has effectively coped with its role of facilitator, but now the country will have to enforce the agreements reached
In March 2023, seven years after diplomatic relations were severed, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) have agreed to reopen their embassies. This decision opens up the possibility of reducing tensions in the Gulf and, in the long term, in the entire region of the Middle East. Notably, both sides ...
... place.
Experts from Russia, the USA, a number of European countries, China, and India took part in the discussion. The discussion focused on the consequences of the implementation of the agreement on restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, reached through the mediation of China, in particular, possible progress in resolving civil conflicts in Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon.
Other discussion points included the current political trends in Israel, the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian ...
... The UAE foreign minister was among the first to visit Damascus, the foreign ministers of Jordan and Egypt visited Syria for the first time in the years of conflict, and the Egyptian president had his first telephone conversation with his Syrian peer. Saudi Arabia, for the first time sent, several planes with humanitarian aid to Syria, whereas Bashar Assad visited Oman for the first time since the inception of the civil war.
Also worth mentioning are the March 13 agreements between Iran and Saudi Arabia,...
... that have impeded the work of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the end to the boycott of Syria by some of them (UAE, Jordan, Bahrain), the establishment of normal interstate relations with Syria, the maintenance of hidden channels of communication between Saudi Arabia and Iran with the assistance of Arab partners, the growing role of the UAE, Egypt and Qatar as moderators of internal conflicts in Lebanon, Iraq, Libya, and much more. Syria is almost central to this process. There is no consensus yet on ...