SAEDNEWS: After the Israeli regime’s aggression, hopes emerged in regional societies and public opinion for forming a unified front against Israel. However, the Doha summit revealed that Arab leaders remain largely passive in confronting the Zionists.
In a region where the flames of Israeli aggression have been rising daily over the past two years, the Doha summit—held in the shadow of a direct Israeli airstrike on Qatar’s capital on September 8, 2025—acted like a shattered mirror, reflecting the stark weakness and humiliation of the Arab world.
The extraordinary Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, attended by Arab and Islamic leaders, was meant to symbolize unity and strength. Instead, it produced hollow statements and paper condemnations, with no enforceable guarantees and no practical measures, such as cutting ties or reducing relations with Israel. This inaction not only failed to stop the Israeli strike on Qatar but also undermined Doha’s mediating efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.
Even with its vast oil wealth, the GCC’s so-called “real power” boiled down to issuing immediate orders to “activate a joint defense mechanism”—without taking a single practical step.
The Doha summit highlighted not just Israel’s blatant violations of international law but also the deep incapacity of Arab states in the face of Netanyahu’s “law of the jungle.” Inaction left Palestinians more isolated than ever, reminded the Arab world of historical defeats, and marked the end of the illusion of Arab unity.
Despite Israel openly committing what can only be described as a terrorist operation in the heart of an Arab country, Arab leaders—including Qatar’s—chose silence and inaction, effectively paving the way for further Israeli incursions across the region.
Rising insecurity across the region:
Arab states increasingly see themselves as potential targets. Israeli leaders openly discuss a “Greater Israel” plan and constantly threaten military action. With no Arab government able to guarantee its own security, West Asia risks becoming a continuous hotspot of imminent conflict.
Erosion of Arab military investments:
Arab nations have invested nearly $1 trillion in advanced weaponry, from defense systems to modern fighter jets. Yet even Qatar, with the highest density of defense systems—largely American—could not prevent Israel from striking, revealing the limits of military hardware against political and strategic deception.
Delegitimization of the GCC:
The council’s call to “activate the joint defense mechanism” lacked operational substance. Like previous meetings (e.g., Cairo 2023), the summit produced paper condemnations without practical measures, highlighting Arab passivity in the face of direct Israeli threats, even as they issued warnings against Iran in the past.
Declining public trust:
Arab populations are likely to grow increasingly skeptical of their leaders’ ability to protect them, weakening the GCC’s regional influence relative to rivals such as Iran and Turkey.
The recent experience in Doha reinforces that resistance, not appeasement, is far more effective. Standing up to U.S. overreach and Israeli aggression is less costly and more rewarding than compromise. Evidence from Yemen and the U.S. military’s setbacks shows that resilience and countermeasures yield tangible benefits.
The Doha summit marks a new low for Arab states. This paralysis emboldens Netanyahu’s “law of the jungle,” leaves Palestinians increasingly isolated, and encourages further Israeli aggressions against Arab countries. Words without action, as Doha demonstrated, cannot defend sovereignty or regional dignity.
