On March 6, 2023, China hosted a delegation of Saudi and Iranian representatives, in an effort to normalize diplomatic relations between the Middle Eastern powers. The ensuing agreement entailed the reestablishment of diplomatic relations along with the reopening of embassies within two months of the resolution.
This is a significant step forward for peace in the Middle East. Iran and Saudi Arabia, in part because of their religious differences, have funded opposing factions in several neighboring conflicts. In Syria, Iran supports the government and Saudi Arabia supports rebel groups, thereby exacerbating the ongoing civil war. However, in light of the recent large-magnitude earthquake in Syria and the reinstitution of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Saudi regime is actively discussing reopening its Syrian embassy.
Other prominent Arab countries, such as Yemen and Lebanon, have also been caught in proxy wars between Iran and Saudi Arabia. In Yemen, Saudi Arabia backed the government while Iran backed the Shiite Houthi rebels; in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia backed Sunni politicians while Iran backed the Shiite militia group, Hezbollah. The divide between the two nations is multiplex, marked by a religious and geopolitical divide.
The religious divide is based on a long-standing sectarian conflict between the Shiite (the most prominent Muslim subgroup in Iran) and Sunni (the most prominent Muslim subgroup in Saudi Arabia) populations. On the other hand, the geopolitical divide is based on an economic contest between the United States and Russia. The U.S. has long supported the Saudi regime because of Saudi Arabia’s high oil production, although that’s beginning to change in the context of the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Iran and Russia’s partnership is also based largely on economic cooperation, as both countries are under American sanctions.
Saudi Arabia’s recent decision to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization — an economic and international defense organization based in China — is a major step toward strengthening ties between powerful countries to promote global economic growth and establish peace. The SCO, known for its economic aid to developing countries, primarily in Central Asia, is troubling for the United States. This is because of its potential impact on American interests in Central and East Asia, furthering the antagonism between the United States and countries in the SCO. The Saudi decision to join the SCO further underscores the evolving dynamics between Iran, Saudi Arabia and the U.S.
Given this new development in Iranian-Saudi relations, the unipolar power that the U.S. held is beginning to fall apart, and this is most evident in Israel, the country to which the U.S. has given unconditional military and financial support. When President Joe Biden was asked about the recent developments between Iran and Saudi Arabia, he responded by saying “the better the relations between Israel and their Arab neighbors, the better for everybody,” echoing the sentiment of the close American-Israeli ties.
Further, Ned Price, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, commented on the peace pact during a press briefing, stating, “I have a difficult time wrapping my head around (the idea that) our role could be supplanted when no country on Earth has done more to help build a more stable, a more integrated region.” In reality, China has done more for stability and peace in the Middle East than the U.S. has in the last 30 years; the only major difference is that the U.S. cannot thrive off of the division in the Middle East as easily as before. Given that Saudi Arabia blocked a visit from Eli Cohen, the Israeli foreign minister, after the resolution between Saudi Arabia and Iran, it is evident that the wishes of the U.S. are not being met.
The peace resolution also poses a threat to Israel’s Abraham Accords, cooperative statements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Morocco and Bahrain. These agreements were facilitated by the U.S. and have been in effect since September 15, 2020. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long pushed for integrating Saudi Arabia into these agreements, arguing that it would bring the “effective end of the Israeli-Arab conflict.”
Despite this, Netanyahu has also been vocal about his fears of Syria’s nuclear program and has repeatedly used this rhetoric to justify his actions against the country, including the blockade of humanitarian aid to Syria. Israel used this fallacious rhetoric to obstruct emergency relief assistance in Syria after deadly earthquakes in February. Netanyahu cites fears about a threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program. But Iran wouldn’t deploy nuclear weapons on Israel, because if it did, then it would be waging war against Israel and the entire Western world.
In an interview with the Times of Israel, Jonathan Leslie, adjunct professor at the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University, said, “This apocalyptic scenario doesn’t fit with their behavior (thus far) as a government and as a state.”
By continuing to vilify Iran, even going so far as to compare it to Nazi Germany, Netanyahu has undermined any possibility of international relations with the country.
In light of these significant foreign policy developments, it is worth noting that Israel is also facing domestic turmoil. The aggressive Israeli government has worked to oppress, displace and murder innocent Palestinian civilians (including children). It has also worked to oppress its own people, as seen through the mass protests that broke out against Netanyahu’s attempts to limit the powers that the Israeli Supreme Courts have on the executive branch. In this way, Israel is now experiencing its own version of an Arab Spring, and its democracy is actively being undermined.
Of course, it is important to remember that in a country that actively practices apartheid and colonialism against the indigenous people of the land, the word democracy is void of any serious meaning, only serving as Western propaganda.
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Rackham student Ibrahim Haydar said that his recent trip to Palestine confirmed the impact of Israel’s policies on Palestinians.
“It is odd that Israel is so often put forward as ‘the only democracy in the Middle East’ when the country so actively disenfranchises such large portions of its population,” Haydar said. “Israel’s manufactured spectacle as the democratic vanguard of the region is merely an instance of the rhetoric used to subjugate Palestinians as if Israel’s crushing policies are in the best interest of Palestinians. Peering past the image put forward reveals how ‘democratic’ the state really is.”
Biden has criticized Netanyahu’s decision to try to undermine the courts, advising that Israel “walk away” from these judicial reforms. Further, various American businesses have vouched to boycott Israel completely if Netanyahu succeeds in his plans to reform the government. As a result of this international pressure, business strikes and large-scale protests, the Israeli Prime Minister has agreed to pause these plans to reach a consensus first.
Overall, current developments in the Middle East will profoundly impact Israel’s standing, both in the region and the world. The Iranian-Saudi delegation challenges Israel’s influence in the Middle East, and internal civil unrest has contributed to its vulnerability on the global stage. The Abraham Accords, which were seen as a major achievement for Israel, now face an uncertain future because of Saudi Arabia’s indecision. Most importantly, the United States, which has been a staunch ally of Israel, is losing its imperial power in the Middle East as other countries such as China, Iran and Saudi Arabia are taking steps to strengthen their ties and promote global economic growth and peace.
Ammar Ahmad is an Opinion Columnist from Damascus, Syria, and he writes about international politics and American culture. You can follow him here or you can reach him at ammarz@umich.edu.