On March 22, Arab countries marked 80 years since the founding of the League of Arab States, established in Cairo in 1945 by seven founding members: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Emirate of Transjordan and Yemen. Today, the League counts 22 member states, and it was created with the noble aim of strengthening ties between Arab nations, coordinating policies to serve common interests, defending sovereignty and independence, supporting key Arab causes — chief among them the Palestinian cause — and fostering cooperation in areas such as economy, culture, education and health.
For decades, Palestine remained the central Arab cause, alongside supporting Arab nations in their struggles for independence from colonial powers. In those early years, Arab nationalism and solidarity with just causes were the driving spirit behind the League’s work. However, as we reflect on eight decades of its existence, one cannot ignore the persistent efforts — intentional or otherwise — to undermine the Arab League’s role, particularly in confronting external challenges and in defending Palestine.
Over time, the League’s focus appears to have shifted from decisive action to the mere logistics of holding meetings. This is not to discredit the League’s Secretaries-General, from Abdul Rahman Azzam Pasha (1945–1952) to the incumbent Ahmed Aboul Gheit (2016–). No doubt, they each harboured genuine aspirations to see the League play a leading role in the Arab world, especially regarding Palestine. But these aspirations have often been constrained by political interference and lack of collective will.
This year’s anniversary comes at a time when the Arab world is enduring an unprecedented phase of weakness and disunity. The Palestinian cause has all but vanished from the Arab agenda, even as the people of Gaza face genocide, starvation and daily atrocities at the hands of the Israeli occupation. These acts blatantly violate international law and humanitarian conventions. Yet, the official Arab response has been limited to statements of condemnation — often feeble and desperate in tone.
While there have been achievements in other areas of joint Arab action, when it comes to vital causes, certain influential Arab states have over the years reduced the role of the League’s Secretaries-General to executing their political agendas, even if those agendas compromise Arab unity and national security. This has severely weakened the League’s ability to take strong, unified stances. And yet, one remains confident in the competence and political acumen of Aboul Gheit and his team — if only they were granted the freedom to act.
The 80th anniversary also coincided with the historical anniversary of the conquest of Amorium. It is said that a Muslim woman was slapped by a Byzantine man in the city, and she cried out, "O Mu’tasim!" — calling on the Abbasid Caliph. Upon hearing this, Caliph Al Mu’tasim mobilised an army of nearly 100,000 soldiers and marched to Amorium, in what is now central Türkiye, to avenge her honour. In contrast, today, we hear the cries of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza — besieged, starved and killed during the holy month of Ramadhan — under an international conspiracy unfolding before the eyes of 470 million Arabs. And still, not a whisper of solidarity, honour, or courage has stirred among them. So what kind of nation are we talking about?
Translated by Badr al Dhafari
The original version of this article was published in Arabic in Oman Arabic on March 24, 2025
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