About a month after the outbreak of the war, while the fighting in Gaza continued to evoke protests in the Arab world, Saudi Arabia hosted a joint emergency meeting of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, formerly the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The participation of Iranian President Raisi – the first visit of an Iranian President to the Kingdom in many years – and Syrian President Assad were particularly noteworthy. In contrast, the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, was noticeably absent, probably due to the ongoing tension between him and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Bin Salman used the occasion to highlight the Kingdom's renewed status and its interest in leading the Arab realm. Bin Salman has also sought to demonstrate interest and involvement in the Gaza crisis and not leave the stage to Iran with its support of Hamas and its stand against Israel and the US. At the same time, he is eager to continue the trend of regional detente – bin Salman is among those who have fostered and nurtured it – marked by the renewal of his country's relations with Iran.
As expected, the gathering did not yield practical decisions, and the closing statement reflected the lowest common denominator: a call for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid to the Strip, and an end to the siege, with a demand from the Security Council to take a binding decision. It was reported that the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and apparently Saudi Arabia as well blocked a proposed resolution to oblige countries to sever ties with Israel to and stop Israeli flights over their territory, while disrupting the supply of oil to Israel's allies, along the lines of the famous "oil boycott" after the Yom Kippur War.
The gathering of 57 of the leaders of the Muslim world in Riyadh illustrates the status and importance of the Kingdom at this time and to a certain degree validates the regional detente forged in recent years, which reflects the effects – and stamina, for now – of the new regional architecture.
Israel can be satisfied with the results of the meeting and the general conduct at this time of Saudi Arabia and the Arab countries that maintain relations with Israel, which reflect their desire to defeat Hamas, curb Iran's ambitions, and maintain normal relations with Israel. At the same time, the relative distancing of Arab countries from the crisis in Gaza also shows that the expectations from them must be adjusted regarding their participation in the security arrangements and management of Gaza "the day after" Hamas.
About a month after the outbreak of the war, while the fighting in Gaza continued to evoke protests in the Arab world, Saudi Arabia hosted a joint emergency meeting of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, formerly the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The participation of Iranian President Raisi – the first visit of an Iranian President to the Kingdom in many years – and Syrian President Assad were particularly noteworthy. In contrast, the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, was noticeably absent, probably due to the ongoing tension between him and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Bin Salman used the occasion to highlight the Kingdom's renewed status and its interest in leading the Arab realm. Bin Salman has also sought to demonstrate interest and involvement in the Gaza crisis and not leave the stage to Iran with its support of Hamas and its stand against Israel and the US. At the same time, he is eager to continue the trend of regional detente – bin Salman is among those who have fostered and nurtured it – marked by the renewal of his country's relations with Iran.
As expected, the gathering did not yield practical decisions, and the closing statement reflected the lowest common denominator: a call for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid to the Strip, and an end to the siege, with a demand from the Security Council to take a binding decision. It was reported that the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and apparently Saudi Arabia as well blocked a proposed resolution to oblige countries to sever ties with Israel to and stop Israeli flights over their territory, while disrupting the supply of oil to Israel's allies, along the lines of the famous "oil boycott" after the Yom Kippur War.
The gathering of 57 of the leaders of the Muslim world in Riyadh illustrates the status and importance of the Kingdom at this time and to a certain degree validates the regional detente forged in recent years, which reflects the effects – and stamina, for now – of the new regional architecture.
Israel can be satisfied with the results of the meeting and the general conduct at this time of Saudi Arabia and the Arab countries that maintain relations with Israel, which reflect their desire to defeat Hamas, curb Iran's ambitions, and maintain normal relations with Israel. At the same time, the relative distancing of Arab countries from the crisis in Gaza also shows that the expectations from them must be adjusted regarding their participation in the security arrangements and management of Gaza "the day after" Hamas.