This ultimatum averted Egypt’s potential collapse and precipitated the resignations of British Prime Minister Anthony Eden and French President Guy Mollet. American power became undoubtedly evident, leading Israel to recognize the centrality of Washington’s influence, coinciding with the latter’s utilization of Jewish financial resources and political leverage in various sectors; including the media, finance, economics and political establishments. Conversely, the Arab nations did not fully utilize their potential to impact the decisions of major powers -- notably the United States -- whose objective since 1953 has been to transform the Middle East, particularly the Arab region, into an industrial and service base while securing consistent oil exports.

Prior to 1967, specifically before what is referred to as the ‘setback’, there existed a potential for Arab nations to engage in negotiations and achieve favorable outcomes had they heeded the advice of Habib Bourguiba. However, Abdul-Nasser instead propagated the aggressive slogan, “Throw the Jews into the sea,” and the ensuing Six-Day War decisively dispelled these impractical aspirations. At the same time, the Soviet Union passively observed, anticipating a strategic advantage through the Arab states’ dependence on their armaments and support, akin to the pursuit of an illusory expectation. Your Excellency, the US President, successive initiatives aimed at establishing peace with Israel -- including the Rogers Plan of 1970, the King Fahad Peace Plan presented at the Fez Arab Summit, and the King Abdullah Plan proposed at the Beirut Summit -- have consistently been met with rejection by Israel. The rejection is predicated on Israel’s assessment that Arab states lack significant concessions and its adherence to the Levi Eshkol Doctrine, which states: “Every 10 years we will be forced to fight so that the Arabs will give up the land they claim and demand new lands that we will occupy.” This doctrine has consistently guided Israeli administrations.

Concurrently, Arab actors, particularly leaders of radical organizations and movements rooted in communist and nationalist ideologies, as well as more militant factions, persistently maintained the rhetoric of “throw the Jews into the sea.” However, their objectives remained unrealized, failing to impede Israel’s territorial expansion. Nonetheless, the October 7 events significantly worsened the situation, effectively dispelling the remaining optimism generated by the ‘Abraham Accords’ and the two-state solution. Divergent perspectives among Arab nations persisted, with 21 distinct viewpoints, each driven by unique motivations and interests. Therefore, a unified position has remained elusive since 1948, and the collective power has not been leveraged for common goals, instead it is being utilized in internal conflicts. Mr. President, during your first visit to the region, specifically to Riyadh, you concluded important political and investment deals and established the principle of a two-state solution through Washington’s sponsorship of the ‘Abraham Accords’. As for investment contracts, the total amounted to $460 billion and only $13 billion of which was implemented for weapons.

This was because the Biden administration worked to obstruct the development of relations between the GCC and the United States, and disrupted these investments. This contributed to the tension between Washington and the Gulf capitals. Today, Your Excellency is currently in the capital of Arab decision-making. During engagements with regional leaders, numerous observations will be on point. Decisions of profound consequence are imperative to uphold the Palestinian cause and preclude its commodification. Moreover, measures must be taken to restrain Tel Aviv, whose military actions you in the recent past characterized as “savage,” and to advance the 1953 project. As Your Excellency’s statements clearly indicate, you seek peace in the world and a Middle East free of crises. Thus, hopes are pinned on the outcomes of the summits and on Your Excellency’s expression of your desire for “zero problems” in the region.