Strategic Assessment

One of the interesting aspects of the conflict between Hizbollah and Israel relates to positions that Arab states have taken on the unfolding developments. In an unusual step, immediately after news broke of the kidnapping of the IDF soldiers on the northern border, Egypt and Jordan spoke out against Hizbollah; they described the actions of the organization as inappropriate and irresponsible. The Saudi foreign minister joined the harsh criticism and added that Hizbollah’s actions are an uncalculated adventure that sets the region back years and endangers the Arab world “without having received approval from the central government and without coordination with Arab states.” These positions were reiterated at an emergency session of the Arab League that convened four days after the Hizbollah attack to deliberate the developments in the north. The assembly disclosed the differences of opinion in the Arab world regarding Hizbollah, with Syria, the main supporter of the organization among Arab states, taking a position contrary to that of the moderate states.