After decades of entrenched rhetoric and political posturing that fueled extremism and stagnation, a critical question arises: Can the Arab region shed its burdensome legacy and engage with Israel as a pragmatic partner in building a stable, prosperous future?
Or will it remain tethered to defunct narratives that have brought only destruction and squandered potential?
Historical and geopolitical realities demand an honest reassessment of relations with Israel, divorced from ideological baggage.
The destructive rivalry among Arab authoritarian regimes – and their exploitation of the Palestinian cause to legitimize repression – has not only weakened Palestinian aspirations but also cultivated extremism, endangering the entire region.
Addressing shared challenges, such as post-authoritarian recovery, extremism, and sustainable development, requires strategic collaboration, including with Israel.
The Palestinian cause, once a tool for regimes to deflect domestic discontent, has devolved into a theater for inter-regime competition. Lacking a unifying vision, corrupt authoritarian powers have weaponized the cause to bolster their influence, labeling rivals as “reactionary” or “client states.”
This rivalry fueled a race to arm and fund Palestinian factions, deepening internal divisions and weakening their collective position.
More dangerously, regimes shielded from direct conflict with Israel often pushed frontline states like Egypt into costly wars, prioritizing their own geopolitical games over meaningful support. Manipulative tactics – controlling media, stoking public anger with slogans like “driving Israel into the sea” – allowed these regimes to manufacture legitimacy while evading accountability for governance failures.
In some cases, regimes escalated violence through proxy attacks on Israeli or Arab targets, prioritizing political messaging over Palestinian interests.
Such tactics inflicted lasting harm on the Palestinian cause. Worse, decades of state-sanctioned hatred and ideological grandstanding created fertile ground for extremist ideologies. As Arab nationalism waned, extremist groups emerged, backed by regional powers seeking influence, plunging the region into renewed cycles of violence and undermining peaceful resolution.
Root obstacle to Middle Eastern peace
The root obstacle to Middle Eastern stability is not Israel’s existence but the legacy of authoritarian regimes that seized power, suppressed freedoms, and hijacked national causes to mask their failures.
These regimes drained resources into arms races, inter-Arab conflicts, and support for extremism while neglecting development and fostering cultures of fear and conspiracy. Their hegemonic ambitions – whether nationalist or religious – collapsed repeatedly, leaving fractured societies and failed states.
In contrast, despite ongoing conflict, Israel has built democratic institutions, advanced in science and technology, and fostered a diverse, innovative society. This contrast challenges Arab thinkers to reconsider: Could cooperation with Israel address shared threats like terrorism, water scarcity, and climate change? Could it help construct a Middle East defined by peace and prosperity?
Persistent demonization of Israel distracts from the real issues plaguing Arab societies: authoritarianism, corruption, failed development, and cultures of hatred. Remaining trapped in cycles of empty rhetoric and exploiting the Palestinian cause for internal rivalries guarantees further loss and instability.
Recent decades prove that regimes ruling in the name of nationalism or religion have failed to deliver freedom, dignity, or progress – instead breeding violence and stagnation.
True courage lies not in clinging to defunct narratives but in critically reexamining assumptions, rejecting extremism, and prioritizing pragmatic solutions. A better future requires democratic governance, sustainable development, and regional cooperation.
Recognizing Israel as a strategic partner – not an eternal enemy – is a necessity dictated by geography and mutual interest. The alternative – persisting with zero-sum rivalries and ignoring cooperation – risks further tragedy, empowering only the forces of regression and chaos.
The writer is a UAE political analyst and former Federal National Council candidate.