The recent Arab League summit in Riyadh was widely anticipated as a moment of unity and decisive action in the face of Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Yet, despite the gathering of dozens of leaders from across the Muslim world, the outcome was disappointingly familiar — an array of condemnations with little in the way of concrete measures to halt the bloodshed. The summit was meant to be a show of force, bringing together influential nations like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkiye, and Egypt. This convergence should have provided a unified front capable of challenging the agendas set by superpowers like the United States and Russia. Instead, it devolved into a symbolic display, exposing the Arab world's inability to translate collective outrage into meaningful action.
Despite high expectations, the summit's final communiqué fell into the same pattern as past gatherings. It included stern condemnations of Israel's actions but stopped short of adopting practical measures such as severing diplomatic ties, imposing economic sanctions, or using their considerable oil wealth as leverage against Israel and its backers. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in his address, condemned Israel's military operations and voiced support for Lebanon's sovereignty, yet he failed to propose actionable steps beyond rhetorical opposition. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's impassioned call for an arms embargo and severance of trade with Israel was notably absent from the summit's resolutions. The Arab League's reluctance to translate their bold statements into policy reflects a broader pattern of prioritising regional stability over taking a definitive stance against Israeli aggression.
The response from the Arab states was particularly disheartening for the Palestinians. While their leaders issued proclamations of solidarity, they fell short of delivering on promises of the support they so urgently need. The summit's failure to endorse concrete economic or diplomatic measures against Israel was a stark reminder of the disunity and conflicting interests that plague the Arab world. Pakistan's Prime Minister, however, took a stronger stance, proposing stringent measures such as an economic embargo against Israel and leveraging trade relations to exert pressure. This proposal, if adopted, could have had a significant impact on curbing Israel's actions. Yet, despite this assertive suggestion, the emerging resolution lacked any real substance, underscoring the gap between rhetoric and reality.
The summit's final resolution, which called for suspending Israel's UN membership and urged an international investigation into its actions, was more of a symbolic gesture than a strategic move capable of changing the facts on the ground
Adding to the disillusionment was the inexplicable praise heaped upon Qatar and Egypt for their cooperation with the United States — a country that has consistently blocked efforts to hold Israel accountable at the United Nations. This alignment with Washington's interests, rather than a focus on the dire needs of the Palestinian people, reflected a troubling deference to Western powers. It became clear that the summit's primary audience was not the suffering populations of Gaza or Lebanon but rather the incoming US administration. The message sent to President-elect Donald Trump was one of continued allegiance rather than a principled stand for justice. Saudi Arabia and its allies seemed more concerned with positioning themselves favourably with Washington than with taking real steps to support the Palestinian cause.
The Arab League's inability to leverage its substantial economic and political influence reveals a deeper malaise within the organisation. With control over significant oil reserves, the Gulf states, in particular, hold the potential to disrupt the international support that fuels Israel's military capabilities. Yet, their unwillingness to deploy these resources reflects a prioritisation of their security and economic interests over those of the Palestinian people. This summit, like so many before it, demonstrated a preference for symbolic gestures over substantive action. The option to cut off oil supplies to Israel's supporters or impose economic sanctions that could shift the balance of power was notably missing from the discussions.
Meanwhile, leaders like Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, who called for practical measures rather than declarations, echoed the growing frustration with these summits' ineffectiveness. Assad's call for a clear plan to end the conflict underscored a harsh reality: even those within the Arab League recognise that these gatherings are often little more than diplomatic theatre. The summit's final resolution, which called for suspending Israel's UN membership and urged an international investigation into its actions, was more of a symbolic gesture than a strategic move capable of changing the facts on the ground. There was no serious discussion of leveraging the Arab world's collective economic power to bring about a ceasefire or a shift in Israel's policies.
The culmination of the summit left the people of Gaza and Southern Lebanon with little hope for change. The leaders gathered in Riyadh missed a crucial opportunity to demonstrate unity and assert their influence in the region. Instead, they opted for the comfort of vague condemnations and non-binding resolutions. This failure to act decisively not only prolongs the suffering of Palestinians but also diminishes the Arab League's credibility as a force for change. The repeated inability to stand up to Israel and its Western allies only emboldens further aggression, ensuring that the cycle of violence and despair continues.
The Riyadh summit was a sobering reminder of the Arab world's limitations in addressing the crises within its collective borders. The lack of a unified front, the reluctance to leverage economic power, and the prioritisation of diplomatic niceties over actionable outcomes all serve to reinforce the perception that the Arab League is a toothless entity. As long as Arab leaders remain content with lip service rather than real action, the plight of the Palestinians will persist, and the credibility of the Arab world will continue to erode. It is high time for these leaders to match their words with deeds, to take risks for the sake of justice, and to use their considerable influence to bring about a meaningful change. Anything less is not just a betrayal of the Palestinian cause, but a failure of moral leadership that the world can no longer afford to ignore.