The unfolding events in the Gaza war and beyond by Israel and its American and European allies and how largely (Sunni) Islamic world rulers’ attitude towards genocide and suffering of Palestine indicates the shallowness of the much-hyped idea of Pan-Islamism. This ideology seeks political and religious unity of the Muslim Community, regardless of ethnic and national boundaries, for the common interests of Muslims. And in the age of suffering of Palestinians at the hands of the Zionist state, is there any larger common interest of the Muslim World other than ending the Genocidal campaign of Palestinians and beyond?
However, it seems that the rulers of the Muslim world are indifferent when it comes to Palestinian causes. The recent groundbreaking revelation by insider American Journalist Bob Woodward (2024) states a different story that the ruler of UAE, Crown Prince of KSA and King of Jordon covertly supported the military campaign of Israel in Gaza in the name of so-called elimination of Hamas; however, one year of militarism and jingoism of Israel clearly shows true colours and goals of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu who stands for elimination and depopulation of Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank, rather than fighting for ending Hamas as little harm has done to Hamas Since 7th October attacks by Israel Defense Forces.
Furthermore, apart from Iran and its axis of Resistance, rulers of the Muslim World from Morocco to Indonesia have done little to pressure Israel and its allies to end this inhuman war which brought down the lives of 43,000 Palestinians, among which half them were children and women, showing that Israel seems no concern with International humanitarian law and Geneva Convention (IV) on Civilians, 1949. Muslim World, despite having a population of two billion and oil weapons, seems to have failed to bring some common strategies for ceasing Israeli hostilities towards Palestinians, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen- many of them having a majority Arab Population.
Ineffective and dormant Muslims Organizations such as OIC, Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council are more interested in issuing hallow statements in support of Palestinians and their cause of self-determination. It is quite remarkable that these organizations, which are meant to exist and were founded based on the Palestinian Cause are becoming irrelevant and clueless at the utmost urgency of the Palestinian struggle when Israel has determined to react to every Palestinian as an animal and dehumanize which needed to be eliminated. Apart from generating pressure on Israel and its allies for a comprehensive ceasefire, the so-called organizations of the Muslim World and Arab World have done little to humanitarian support to Palestinians who are at risk of total annihilation and “every Palestinian baby is at the risk of dying” as per recent revelation of UN Special Envoy to Palestinian. So, where are OIC, GCC, and Arab League, nowhere?
Additionally, it is quite surprising that rulers of the prosperous land of UAE and KSA are doing practically nothing in support of Palestinians instead of merely issuing shallow statements of ceasefire agreements. Much of the secret revelations by Bob Woodward reflect that UAE and KSA are complicit in the military campaign of Israel as it destroys the axis of Resistance in the swathe of the Middle East through which the Iranian regime exercises control and influence over Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and Yamen. So, the enemy of an enemy friend has triumphed over the interests and suffering of Palestinians.
Henceforth, the idea of Pan-Islamism floated by influential personalities of the 19th and 20th centuries of the Muslim World like Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Dr Allama Iqbal, Syed Abul A’la Maududi and Sayyid Qutb seems to be irrelevant and diminished by the rulers of Muslim World who are more interested in their interests and pursuit of Power rather than common interest of Muslim Ummah, especially in the case of Palestinian Cause. Moreover, the indifferent attitude of Arab rulers towards their fellow Arab states is also reckoning the idea of Arab Nationalism, which is more pronounced than Pan-Islamism and floated by famous Arab leaders like Shah Faisal of KSA, Hussein bin Ali, Faisal I of Iraq, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Yasser Arafat, George Habash, Michel Aflaq, Ahmed Ben Bella, Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein. Before the Iranian Revolution (1979), the Palestinian Cause was led by Arab Leaders who fought bravely for Palestinian rights even at the cost of wars with Israel from 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973 in which economic and military support were provided by Arab rulers, especially KSA.
However, in the wake of the 21st century, the force of globalization, the Iraq war of 2003 which shaped the politics and society of the Middle East, the growing network of the Axis of Resistance and a new generation of Arab leaders who sought a détente with Israel for economic and strategic purpose resulted in the loss of interest in Palestinian Cause by Arab Leaders, although much of Arab street opinion still aligned with Palestinian Cause. Furthermore, the weakness of Arab monarchies due to their small population and fragile military power have deepened their dependency on the USA, which is the strongest ally of Israel, and in-charge and support of the Palestinian Cause in the mask of opposition of Israel have resulted in further distancing between Palestinian Cause and Arab rulers.
And, in the following of Abraham Accords (2020) among Israel, UAE and Bahrain set the tone for the shape of the Middle East, minus the Palestinian Cause. Arab monarchies sought to be recognized by Israel for economic incentives, aid and investment, technological and military support in the event of Iranian aggression, and the formation of a common front against the Iranian regime and its so-called axis of resistance. In that process, Israel gained greater legitimacy in the Middle East and the Muslim World, although still unpopular among the Muslim populace, with little care for the future of Palestinian statehood, illegal settlement in the West Bank, and inhumane treatment of Palestinian people. Palestinians largely see the Abraham Accords as a sign of betrayal and a stab in the back in the struggle for the Palestinian Cause. And when the reports were coming out from Washington and Riyadh about some sort of settlement for Abraham Accords 2.0 for recognition between KSA and Israel that was the greatest blow for Palestinians and their struggle for statehood and rights. And many analysts argued that the outbreak of 7TH October 2023 attacks by Hamas, which triggered Israel’s genocidal campaign against the Palestinian People and beyond, was the result of the much-hyped Abraham Accords 2.0, although now Crown Prince of KSA MBS ruled out any sort of recognition with Israel without independent Palestinian state and comprehensive ceasefire agreement for ending hostilities in the region.
Furthermore, Arab monarchies are more careful about the outbreak of total war between Iran and Israel as both countries fired ballistic missiles and drones directly at each other from their respective soil, testing their defensive and offensive capabilities. Even in the latest missile attack from Israel to Iran on 26th October 2024, as per reports, Israel did not use the airspace of Jordan or KSA to attack Iran. Arab monarchies also conveyed direct messaging to American counterparts to not attack the oil or nuclear facilities of Iran which could provoke a regional war in the Middle East that eventually reached at mainland of the Arab World. This reflects that Arab monarchies are showing some sort of restrain or pressure campaign on the USA to stop the wider regional war which could upend the stability and prosperity of Gulf countries. However, Gulf Monarchies could do more than that and even have a real potential of pressurizing Israel to stop attacking neighbouring countries and a comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, in that process, the legitimacy and leadership of Muslim Ummah could be retaken by Gulf Monarchies again.
Nonetheless, the Muslim World and Arab Monarchies, particularly, think twice before abandoning the Palestinian Cause as it resulted in their loss of legitimacy at home and growing threats of Powerful Israel at their doorstep after finishing Gaza it never stopped there and eventually reached the door of the heartland of Arab World for succeeding the mission of Greater Israel.