The Arab Summit that caught my attention was the one which took place in Cairo in 1964. There were summits before that, starting with the establishment of the Arab League in 1945, but these had a special status. On the one hand, it was a sign of healing the rift between the Arab countries after tense years which came with revolutions, coups, civil war in Lebanon, war in Yemen, unity between Egypt and Syria, and then their separation. The Arab summits have been held almost regularly, with some exceptions, particularly after the Arab League left Cairo and then returned to it.
The Jeddah Summit is convened in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after five years of a summit which was held in Dammam. But this time it is held after the Arab climate has changed a lot from what it was in a previous decade, dominated by the atmosphere of the so-called “Arab Spring”, which was stormy and full of hot sands. This meeting took place when a kind of new regionalism was taking shape around a set of countries ready for reform and intervene to solve complex Arab disputes. This time the latest is the strife in Sudan which a Quartet Committee is making efforts to solve. But the return of Syria (to the Arab League) was the event of the conference. This is because another Quartet Committee started to unfold a large array of Syrian mysteries. Would this be beginning of other mysteries?
[by Dr. Abdel Monem Said in Al-Ahram]
Bashar Al-Assad, representing the Syrian regime, attended the Jeddah summit, completing all the formalities of political return to membership of the League of Arab States. This return was welcomed by some Arab leaders who took turns delivering speeches at the opening session. The presence of the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, who appeared at the opening session, hinted that some of those present agreed and supported Vladimir Putin’s aggressive policy. It is a skewed statement that does not name Al-Assad directly, but that can be easily deduced. Just as this summit was considered a political gain for Assad, it could also be considered a political gain for Zelensky, as Russia enjoys hidden support from some Arab countries and apparent support from others, including Syria.
The Syrian regime did not benefit from these efforts, and its gains may not be worth the troubles of the plane journey which led its president to Jeddah.
The world is heading towards intense polarisation led by China and the US, in which Russia of course participates, and in which all the aforementioned countries invest politically. It is doubtful that the efforts which are made will resolve all the problems. Because a summit, held in the presence or absence of Bashar Al-Assad, will not be able to turn a blind eye to decades of tension and differences and he returned to Damascus by the same plane, and perhaps by means of great camouflage to ensure his protection. But it is certain that he returned as he came.
[by Fatmeh Yassin in Al-Araby Al-Jadeed]
Compiled and translated by Faizul Haque