Arab and Muslim leaders concluded a landmark summit in Riyadh last week, where they addressed the pressing issues facing the region, including the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and southern Lebanon and the evolving roles of Iran and the United States following Donald Trump’s recent reelection.
In their closing statement, all 57 leaders participating in the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit called for a return to the 1967 borders and unanimously emphasized the importance of establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite his country’s ongoing efforts to bridge gaps and pursue normalization with Israel, which has long been a goal of the United States, referred to Israel’s actions in Gaza as a “collective genocide.”
“The over-the-top anti-Israel statement of the summit was a result of the Saudi recognition that normalization and a possible defense treaty with Washington will not be achieved soon due to the ongoing war in Gaza and the presidential transition in America,” explained John Hannah, senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA).
“This rhetoric is functional to placate the public and Iran. These regimes are experts at providing something for public consumption and then doing the exact opposite way later on.”
Following the summit, Hamas called on Arab and Muslim nations to translate their pledges into concrete actions, urging immediate efforts to halt Israeli aggression. “The establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital would require more immediate efforts and practical solutions to force (Israel) to stop its aggression and genocide against our people,” Hamas declared in a statement.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati cautioned that his country is enduring an “existential” crisis and subtly criticized foreign interference, with an implied reference to Iran. Meanwhile, Israeli officials such as Prime Minister Netanyahu dismissed the idea of a Palestinian state, calling it “unrealistic.” On Monday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich went further by pledging to push for annexing parts of the West Bank by 2025, stirring additional controversy.
“These meetings were just another example of trying to whitewash Saudi’s position by talking about Palestinian rights, but in reality, Saudi Arabia has proven to be on Israel’s side, as well as America’s,” argued Hugh Miles, founder of Arab Digest.
“Qatar has stolen the limelight diplomatically over these months, so Saudi Arabia is looking for ways to please Donald Trump and Israel—Saudi shares strong ties with Trump and his family, particularly his son-in-law Kushner. So, the kingdom feels shielded in many ways with this administration,” he added.
Saudi Arabia occupies a unique position, balancing its strong ties with the U.S. while simultaneously reopening dialogue with Iran, a nation it has traditionally viewed as a regional threat.
“Saudi Arabia is clearly afraid of Iran, and these meetings are a way to please it somehow and avoid a bigger threat to the country, which could jeopardize the existence of the monarchy directly,” commented Joshua Teitelbaum, professor at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University.
“Iran is in a very powerful position. They can close the Strait of Hormuz and plunge the world economy into crisis with one press of a button. They can also affect Saudi’s economy and even drag the kingdom into a regional war if they want to. Everything is intertwined right now: If Israel somehow loses the war, the Saudi monarchy might not survive either,” added Miles.
Despite claims of retaliatory intentions over the past month, Iran has yet to respond directly to Israel, raising questions about its strategic calculus under increasing American pressure in the region. “No doubt Iranians are nervous and shaken by Trump. The regime is more vulnerable than ever, and its ‘insurance policies’—such as its proxies—have been gradually weakened.
Iranian missiles being launched toward Israel
The Iranian attacks didn’t manage to damage Israel at all, while Israel succeeded in harming the regime’s air defenses. Even the country’s economy is in shambles, and the regime has lost legitimacy in front of its people. So, of course, from now on, they must be very careful,” concluded Hannah.
“The Arab and Muslim world is winning, while Israel is slowly losing the war, both due to its internal divisions and the impact of BDS and criticism against its war crimes,” Miles concluded. “The Middle East is about to change drastically, and Zionism could cease to exist in the process.”
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