![[Analysis] The Arab League’s Role in the Israel-Palestine War: Between a Belligerent Actor and a Diplomatic Mediator](https://i0.wp.com/thenewglobalorder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Arab-League-9.jpg?resize=941%2C200&ssl=1)
The Arab League: origin, members, and goals concerning regional politics and international relations
The concept of forming a unified Arab organization only began to take shape during World War II, under the influence of a combination of Arab, regional, and international actors. This war stimulated national movements and anti-colonial resistance, leading to the independence of several Arab states and the need to balance political power. At the same time, calls for Arab unity grew amid concerns about the Zionist movement and Jewish immigration to Palestine, encouraged by British policies.
In 1944, the already-established Preparatory Committee agreed to unite independent Arab states while maintaining their sovereignty in the so-called Alexandria Protocol, officially naming the organization the League of Arab States. On March 22, 1945, the heads of government of Iraq, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt signed the final version of the Charter of the Arab League, with Saudi Arabia joining later. Over time, 18 other countries joined: Libya (1953), Sudan (1957), Tunisia (1958), Morocco (1958), Kuwait (1961), Algeria (1962), People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (1967, which later merged with the Arab Republic of Yemen in 1990), Bahrain (1971), Qatar (1971), Oman (1971), United Arab Emirates (1971), Mauritania (1973), Somalia (1974), Palestine Liberation Organization (1976), Djibouti (1977), and Comoros (1993).
The Charter included a preamble, 20 articles, and three special appendices. The first application was specific to Palestine and designated a League Council as its representative until independence. He said Palestine is a central issue for the Arab world and undermining the rights of Palestinians would endanger peace and independence in the region. Arab states were called upon to support the Palestinian cause, protect their legitimate rights, and strive to realize their aspirations. Since its establishment, efforts have been made to strengthen the Arab League, and its Charter promotes increased cooperation among member states. In the absence of a dedicated political body, the Political Committee was created in 1946 in response to the Palestinian conflict but was later expanded in 1951 to include governments and heads of state. Strategically, the 1950 Treaty of Mutual Defense and Economic Cooperation linked security to economic interests by establishing a common defense council, which would have promoted collective security, encouraged peaceful resolution of conflicts, and protected Arab states from external pressures through a unified strategic framework.
To manage conflicts between member states and strengthen regional security, the League established several major divisions. They are the Arab National Security Sector (developed from the Military Secretariat in 1953), the Political Affairs Sector, and the Palestine Arab Occupied Territories Sector (created in 1952). The latter oversees the implementation of the League’s decisions on the Palestinian issue and the Israeli occupation, and implements the resolutions of the Summit and the Council of Ministers. This includes departments for Palestinian issues, the occupied Arab territories, and Israeli issues.
Arab League’s belligerent role in the conflict
Arab-Israeli War (1948-1949)
The 1947-1949 conflict is considered Israel’s “war of independence” and Palestine’s “Nakba.” It began with the United Nations Partition Plan, built up with communal violence, and escalated further after Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948, leading to invasions by the Egyptian, Syrian, Transjordanian, Iraqi, and Lebanese armies.
Israel survived and expanded beyond its proposed borders, leaving between 700,000 and 900,000 Palestinians as refugees and leading to the creation of UNRWA. The ambitions of Arab countries such as Jordan, which aimed for the West Bank, Egypt, which aimed for southern Palestine, Iraq, which aimed for the Fertile Crescent, and Syria and Lebanon, which aimed for the northern territories, were competing, guaranteeing little coordination between actors. The Israeli army numbered approximately 40,000 people. The Arab army had approximately 23,000 troops. Israel lost 6,373 people, while Arab losses ranged from 8,000 to 15,000.
Six-Day War (1967)
In early 1967, tensions with Israel increased due to intensified bombing of Syria from the Golan Heights and Egyptian military actions, including the remilitarization of the Sinai Peninsula, the closure of the Strait of Tiran, and defense agreements with other Arab states. On June 5, Israel launched a preemptive strike that paralyzed the air forces of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq, and quickly captured Sinai, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. Hostilities ended with a ceasefire on June 10, ending the Six Day War.
Despite pressure from the United States and the Soviet Union, Arab states were reluctant to participate in treaty negotiations. The Arab summit in Khartoum highlighted Israel’s lack of recognition, absence of negotiations, and lack of peace, which Israel saw as signs of harshness. Sharp divisions within the Israeli cabinet, particularly over the West Bank and Sinai, further impeded the development of a coherent strategy.
Yom Kippur War (1973)
On October 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during Yom Kippur, initially inflicting heavy losses. After regrouping, Israel launched a counter-offensive, pushing back the Syrian and besieging Egyptian forces across the Suez Canal. The heavy losses of the war, combined with the remarkable military successes of the Arab states, created a momentum for peace. This ultimately led to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s historic visit to Israel in 1977 and the signing of the Camp David Accords in 1979. Under this agreement, Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula in exchange for Egypt’s formal recognition, thereby establishing lasting peace between the two countries.
At Camp David in September 1978, U.S. President Jimmy Carter facilitated the signing of two important agreements: the Framework for Peace in the Middle East and the Framework for a Peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel. These agreements called for Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, normalization of relations between Israel and Egypt, and broader regional peace with Arab neighbors. The 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty formalized these arrangements, ending hostilities with Israel completing its withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula and Egypt establishing diplomatic relations and opening the Suez Canal to Israeli shipping.
Arab League’s growing diplomatic role in the conflict
Palestine Liberation Organization (1974)
In 1964, Egypt hosted an Arab summit to organize the Palestinian people against Israel, leading to the creation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in East Jerusalem, funded by the Arab League led by Ahmed Shukairy. His army, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), was part of the Arab Army, and the PLA acted as a sponge for the stateless Palestinians. During the Six-Day War, the PLA demonstrated Palestinian military capabilities and countered the influence of King Hussein. The PLO gained notoriety, but terrorism prevented its recognition.
During the 1973 Ramadan war, she became the sole representative of the Palestinian people. The Arab Summit recognized the withdrawal of Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian state, and the PLO assumed full responsibility for the Palestinian people in the occupied territories, thus uniting the Arab cause.
First Intifada (1987-1993)
The resolution stipulated during the Extraordinary Arab Summit of 1987 reaffirmed that the Palestinian issue is at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict and is a collective Arab responsibility. It called for achieving strategic parity, implementing UN resolutions, and mobilizing Arab resources to support the Palestinian struggle, rejected unilateral peace agreements, and condemned the US closure of the Palestinian Intelligence Service.
The 1989 Casablanca summit reaffirmed these goals, praised the Intifada, and promised material and moral support through the PLO, including $128 million and monthly aid. It supported Israel’s complete withdrawal, Palestinian rights, a United Nations-backed all-party peace conference, and stressed the urgent need to guarantee Palestinian self-determination, return, statehood, and Jerusalem as their capital. The subsequent Extraordinary Arab Summit of 1990 proposed and called back to the same solutions recommended in the previous meetings.
Oslo Accords (1993)
The Arab League played an important, albeit indirect, role in the development of the Oslo Accords and participated in early peace efforts, such as the 1991 Madrid Middle East Peace Conference. This conference created a diplomatic framework that later enabled the secret negotiations that led to the 1993 Oslo Accords. In 1991, the United States and the Soviet Union jointly invited regional parties to participate in the Madrid Conference, which they argued was a historic opportunity to promote comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East. The co-sponsors pledged to promote direct negotiations on two lines, based on UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338: between Israel and Arab states, and between Israel and the Palestinians. The goal was to move beyond conflict and achieve true peace.
Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan were invited as official participants, and Palestinians attended as part of a joint Jordanian-Palestinian delegation. Egypt, the European Community, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Nations also participated in a range of activities, reflecting broad international and regional participation.
This process culminated in the 1993 Declaration of Principles signed in Washington by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. This agreement established mutual recognition between Israel and the PLO and marked the beginning of Israel’s withdrawal from parts of the occupied territory. The 1994 peace treaty between Israel and Jordan further eased long-standing hostilities in the region.
The Second Intifada (2000-2005)
The Arab Peace Initiative (API) was adopted at the Arab League Summit in Beirut in 2002 as Saudi Arabia’s attempt to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict. It called for Israel to completely withdraw from all territory it occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem and areas claimed by Lebanon, and for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. In return, Arab states offered full normalization of relations, security guarantees, and regional recognition for Israel.
The initiative is based on previous proposals by Arab leaders, including Jordan’s King Hussein, and was officially announced by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Abdullah. API also proposed a negotiated solution to the Palestinian refugee issue in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 194. This was reaffirmed at subsequent Arab summits, but no Israeli government has accepted the Initiative as the basis for peace negotiations. API marked a major shift in Arab politics, marking the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 242 and unconditional recognition of Israel’s right to exist, moving away from the post-1967 position of no peace, no recognition, and no negotiation. The idea was rejected by Israel and the United States but was reaffirmed in 2007 in support of a two-state solution. In 2008, some Israeli politicians began to see this as a possible basis for ending the conflict, especially in response to changes in regional power relations.
The Arab League as an established diplomatic mediator
Confrontations (2008-2023)
The Arab League supported the recognition of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem after peace talks with Israel stalled in 2008 and backed plans for full Palestinian membership in the United Nations. Arab foreign ministers pledged to mobilize international support through the United Nations Security Council despite expected resistance from the United States.
At the same time, several Arab countries began normalizing relations with Israel based on the Abraham Accords. Bahrain and Israel agreed to establish full diplomatic relations, promote security, renounce the use of force and expand cooperation in areas such as trade, tourism, technology and security, including the opening of embassies. Morocco and Israel restored diplomatic relations, resumed direct flights, and continued economic and technical cooperation. The UAE and Israel formalized their commitment to peace and full normalization, international law, mutual security and regional stability. Compared to the rest of the signatory countries, Sudan stated more generic promises. It aimed at peace in the region and developing diplomatic relations with Israel.
These events emphasized coexistence, sovereignty, and respect for religious freedom, and supported continued efforts to expand regional peace and achieve a just and durable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel in Gaza (2023-now)
On October 11, 2023, the Arab League held an extraordinary meeting to resolve the growing crisis in the Gaza Strip. The resolution called for an immediate ceasefire, restraint by all parties, protection of civilians and an end to violations of international law. The League called for an end to the blockade of Gaza, the provision of humanitarian aid and support to UNRWA, and urged Israel to stop expanding its settlements and fulfill its obligations as an occupying power. It stressed the need to restart negotiations between Israel and the PLO to achieve a just two-state solution, and warned that political stagnation would fuel violence and regional instability.
On November 11, 2023, leaders of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation gathered in Riyadh to condemn Israeli aggression, protect civilians, and demand implementation of United Nations resolutions affirming the rights of the Palestinian people, including self-determination, independence, and the return of refugees. They called for binding Security Council action, full Palestinian membership in the United Nations, and welcomed the International Court of Justice’s ruling outlawing the occupation. The leaders supported mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, held Israel accountable for the failed ceasefire negotiations, called for an arms embargo, and called on the ICC to take action against Israeli officials.
Later, on 18 November 2025, a delegation of the Arab League who attended a meeting of the UNRWA Advisory Board underlined the important role of UNRWA, rejected funding cuts, and reaffirmed the need to maintain its mandate to protect the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Arab League and Western influence
EU and North American pressure
The United States and the European Union have promoted different approaches to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Building on past efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Arab countries, US President Donald Trump has pushed for an expansion of the Abraham Accords in the hope that Saudi Arabia will join. This “outside-in” strategy prioritized regional relations over resolving the Palestinian issue, and drew criticism for undermining the 2002 Arab peace initiative and the two-state solution.
UN Security Council Resolution 2803, supported by President Trump, laid the groundwork for a ceasefire and hostage exchange in Gaza through the International Stabilization Force and the Peace Council. However, this ignored Palestinian sovereignty and Israeli involvement in the West Bank, preventing further progress. Members of the European and Islamic Council supported the resolution despite their reservations, calling for reference to international law.
Meanwhile, France, Germany, Italy and the UK support a $53 billion Arab-led, Egyptian-led reconstruction plan for Gaza. The plan would avoid forced displacement, place Gaza under a technocratic Palestinian interim administration controlled by the Palestinian Authority, and exclude Hamas. Israel and President Trump rejected the proposal, but European countries pledged to cooperate with the Arab initiative and support reforms by the Palestinian Authority.
Future discussions and plans of the Arab League
Arab leaders have approved Egypt’s proposal to rebuild the Gaza Strip without displacing its 2.3 million residents, rejecting President Donald Trump’s reconstruction plan. The Cairo Summit was attended by the leaders of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, as well as United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The proposal outlines a first phase of reconstruction aimed at removing explosives and providing temporary housing, followed by a complete reconstruction of Gaza’s infrastructure. A transitional administrative committee made up of independent Palestinian technocrats would govern Gaza, administer humanitarian aid, and prepare for the eventual handover of the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the move and called on Trump to support a solution that allows Gazans to remain in their homes.
Suggested readings:
1948 Arab–Israeli War. Saylor Academy.
Karsh, Efraim. The Six-Day War: An Inevitable Conflict. Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. May 19, 2017.
Feldman, Shai. The Second Intifada: A “Net Assessment.” The Institute for National Security Studies. November 2001.
