Arab world

Understanding Arab paradoxical positions in the Iran war - opinion

Arab states avoid direct war with Iran while shaping its outcome, using economic pressure and strategic distance to weaken a regional rival without escalation

|ByDALIA ZIADA
Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends the Ministry of Awqaf conference titled "Unity of Islamic Discourse" at the Conference Palace in Damascus, Syria, February 16, 2026.

Jordan-Syria rapprochement signals new regional axis amid post-war realignment - analysis

Syrian-Jordanian ties are natural because many southern Syrian tribes have connections with people in northern Jordan.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanon Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israel Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter walk to their meeting at the State Department in Washington, DC, U.S., April 14, 2026.

Arab voices cautiously back Israel-Lebanon talks, blast Hezbollah’s role in war

Commenting on social media platform X, journalist Tony Boulos expressed cautious optimism, writing that “the hope is that the process will mature into a fair peace agreement.

|ByMAARIV ONLINE
IRANIAN PRESIDENT Ebrahim Raisi delivers a speech marking the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, in Tehran, in February 2024.

Israel – hegemon or partner? The Middle East is divided- opinion

Israel’s military successes so far are already generating waves across the Middle East regarding its place on the “day after.” 

|ByELIE PODEH, KSENIA SVETLOVA

Reviving the Druze state: The implications for Druze diaspora, Palestinians - opinion

Inspiration for Palestinians? A Druze State can help Palestinians move beyond functioning as pawns in the Western assault on Judaism.

MARCH 25, 2025ByGOL KALEV
A delegation of 100 Druze leaders from Syria visits northern Israel for the first time since 1973 on March 14, 2025. Israeli Druze proudly wave their own national flag alongside the Israeli flag in festivals and ceremonies, the writer points out.

A shared future starts now: Why 2025 must be the year of change - opinion

A shared society, based on equality, justice, and mutual respect, will lead us out of the crisis toward a future of peace.

MARCH 18, 2025ByHANAN ALSANAH, ELA ALON
Within days of the brutal October 7 attack, Itach-Ma’aki, together with the ‘Have You Seen the Horizon Lately?’ organization and local partners, established a joint emergency center in Rahat – Jewish and Arab men and women who worked together, to assist families in need, say the writers.

The UK’s inaction on Islamist radicalism Is a crisis for Israel and the West - opinion

The UK must abandon the dangerous belief that critiques of radical Islamist ideology equate to Islamophobia, instead adopting the UAE’s clear stance to protect society from this threat.

MARCH 17, 2025ByCATHERINE PEREZ-SHAKDAM
AN ANTI-ISRAEL protest takes place outside a Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Chelsea, in Manchester, in February. A Henry Jackson Society poll shows that one-third of British Muslims want implementation of Sharia law in the UK.

An Arab shift on Gaza and Hamas - opinion

The Arab countries understand that for both Israel and the Trump administration, the removal of Hamas from power is a non-negotiable condition for moving forward. The onus is now on them.

MARCH 9, 2025ByYAARA SEGAL
PARTICIPANTS IN an emergency Arab summit to discuss Palestinian developments pose for a group photo, last week in Cairo. The Arab plan does not mention the need for Hamas to lay down its weapons and relinquish control over the Gaza Strip, much to the dismay of the US and Israel, says the writer.

Cairo summit: The Egyptian plan for Gaza and the roadblocks ahead

Arab League representatives gathered in Cairo to discuss an Egyptian-led reconstruction plan for Gaza, but regional divisions and a lack of security provisions complicate the plan’s prospects

MARCH 6, 2025ByGIORGIA VALENTE/THE MEDIA LINE
ARAB LEADERS pose for a photo ahead of an Arab League summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last year.

US and Hamas hold secret talks to free hostages, Eyal Zamir steps in as IDF chief

Israel slams Arab summit adoption of Egyptian Gaza plan • Nearly half of Israelis support advancing ceasefire negotiations, poll finds

MARCH 5, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and mourners attend the funeral of Al-Qassam fighters who were killed during the war between Israel and Hamas in the Al-Shati camp, in Gaza City, February 28, 2025.

Egypt unveils plan to reshape Gaza at Arab summit, sidelining Hamas

Israel is unlikely to oppose an Arab entity taking responsibility for Gaza's government if Hamas is off the scene, said a source familiar with the matter.

MARCH 4, 2025ByREUTERS
Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa at the Al Tahrir palace to discuss details of the Gaza reconstruction plan, ahead of the emergency Arab summit organised by Egypt this week, in Cairo, Egypt March 3, 2025..

Syrian leader to visit Jordan on Wednesday, say Jordanian sources

The visit is the new interim leader's third foreign trip along with Saudi Arabia and Turkey since he came to power after leading a decisive rebel offensive which ousted Iran-backed Bashar al Assad.

FEBRUARY 24, 2025ByREUTERS
Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attends a meeting with former rebel faction chiefs, in Damascus, Syria, December 24, 2024

Gaza plan requires Hamas removal, no forced relocation, Saudi officials say - report

A senior Egyptian official added: “The US administration has conveyed to Arab states that it is open to alternative plans regarding Gaza, beyond Trump’s initiative.”

FEBRUARY 20, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades seen in Khan Yunis, Gaza, February 20, 2025

Riyadh is the Arab world's new real leader - opinion

Egypt's demographic and economic challenges have weakened its position, creating a vacuum that has been filled by an increasingly assertive Saudi crown prince.

JANUARY 31, 2025ByELIE PODEH, ONN WINCKLER
FOREIGN MINISTERS and other delegates participating in a meeting on the future of Syria pose for a group photo, in Riyadh, earlier this month. Saudi Arabia has assumed a prominent role under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, say the writers.