The Arab League is moribund: only Palestinians can change the balance

It is difficult to convince Arabs that the Arab League, with all its facilities and components, is of any use. In the face of storms, tremors and crises in the region it continues to be weak and incapable of making effective decisions, creating alternative facts on the ground or even taking initiatives that would bring conflicting views together.

Since the Arab League was formed it has been operating with a traditional institutional logic and without realism or political pragmatism. Instead of developing a methodology of work and considering adapting its functions and roles to the transformations and changes taking place in the region and the world, we see that it still adheres to policies that keep in mind what regimes like. These policies are subject to balances that can guarantee minimum level of harmony but at the expense of major strategic benefits and vital priorities which are considered crucial for Arab societies.

When institutions become old and crumble, and turn into mere buildings without spirit or clear and concrete tasks, they’re considered dead and no one can believe that under such conditions they can deliver or play any role or interact positively with any issue.

What has been happening in Jerusalem, specifically at Al-Aqsa Mosque, is provoking questions about the Arab League. In light of all the Israeli schemes to compromise the historic situation of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its symbolism and sanctity, this institution had to intervene with all possible means and to form a strategy for diplomatic action regionally and worldwide. However, as always the Arab League can only master rhetoric and condemnation statements, in a manner that may seem to involve threats, while in reality it hides subjugation to the status quo.

Read: Arab League postpones meeting on Jerusalem for a second time

Because Israel realises the real value of the Arab League and that its statements are not serious, it clearly understands, more than others, the limits of this institution and the fact that it does not go beyond being good at selecting words that aim to reduce the tension in Arab streets. So, can a tense and unstable statement that is so tired, speaking shyly about international resolutions and responsibilities, prevent Israeli authorities from continuing their provocative policies?

Everything is quite clear. Israel would not have decided to set up electronic gates to search worshipers heading for the Al-Aqsa Mosque if it did not realise that there is comprehensive Arab fragility and a crisis situation that serves its interests. Palestinians are not united, Arab-Arab relations are congested, and the prevailing rhetoric is full of hatred and betrayal, especially in the absence of elected, executive and legislative democracy, that is based on popular legitimacy and operates according to legal and constitutional systems separating authorities, defining the roles of individual institutions, and guaranteeing freedom and respect for human rights.

Al-Quds Al-Sharif has a special place in the hearts of Arabs and Muslims. They all realise that this place symbolises the first of the two Qiblas, the third of the two Holy Mosques, the Prophet’s Apostle, the City of Prophets and tolerance and that it is full of historical and religious symbols, which Israel strives to control and possess by claiming that the city is part of its history. Belief alone in the value of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque and their symbolism is not enough to restrain the occupation authorities, nor to limit their dreams of annexing East Jerusalem and distorting its Arab identity.

Israel’s adventures of setting up electronic searches to look into the intentions of Jerusalemites and other believers from neighbouring cities put the Arab League ahead of major challenges that require decisive positions. The right-wing government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, intentionally works to thwart any attempt or initiative to resolve the Palestinian issue and whenever there are signs of activating the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis this government deliberately fabricates tensions to prevent any progress towards any just and equitable settlement, ignoring by that all efforts of its strategic ally, the United States of America.

#HandsOffAlAqsa

There is a historic opportunity for Palestinian factions, especially the Fatah and Hamas movements, to overcome any psychological and mental barriers, to end the absurd conflict, which is meaningless historically, politically and strategically. The right-wing coalition government, whose path is drawn by Netanyahu, is in a state of confusion. According to the French newspaper Le Monde, setting the e-gates up was a personal decision taken by Netanyahu. It was opposed by the internal intelligence and the military establishment. On the other hand, the security establishment supported it and it came to appease the hard-line wing of the Netanyahu-led coalition, which tends to pursue a policy of iron fist toward the Palestinians.

The Israeli government tends to reduce the magnitude of Palestinian anger thinking that the situation in the Arab region will help it to implement its plans, but it has misjudged, and has not read well the sensitivity of the Palestinians and Jerusalemites in particular to the attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque. The problem is not only religious, but also has an identity dimension. Jerusalem symbolises the place where Palestinians can have a sense of sovereignty, and here political symbolism takes on a greater importance than religious feelings.

Add to that the crisis caused by the Israeli authorities with Jordan, when a security man of the Israeli embassy in Amman killed two Jordanian citizens, on their own land, without taking into account signed agreements and without any consideration of the feelings of the Jordanian people. Had this happened in Tel Aviv, Israel would have shaken. Netanyahu found himself in trouble so he rushed to reassure King Abdullah by calming the atmosphere in Jerusalem.

Read: Netanyahu warmly receives soldier who killed Jordanians

These bumps combined have put the Israeli government in front of an angry and fiery Palestinian street, in the absence of an interlocutor or intermediary authority capable of controlling the situation. According to an opinion poll conducted by Israel’s Channel 2 on 25 July 2017 77 per cent of Israelis consider retreating from setting the e-gates up to be a loss to their government and a victory for Palestinian demonstrators.

What is required on the Palestinian, Arab and Islamic level, is that they exploit these mistakes and turn them into a source of strength and pressure to inform the Israeli authorities that what they see as an opportunity to infringe upon the historical rights of the Palestinian people, after the fall of a number of regimes and the collapse of entire countries, is a mistaken belief by all standards. Palestinians’ strong will, resilience, belief in the justice of their demands and cause are effective factors that will really affect the course of events, and can change the balance.

This piece was first published in Arabic in Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on 1 August 2017

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.