The only time Israel was honest was when it stated its “principled” ambition for a territory stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates, in effect, threatening perpetual war until it occupies its neighbours. The Arab vulnerabilities were obscured by the “certainty” that they had purchased foolproof security from the US and their contempt for Hamas. But when push came to shove, the US held steadfast in its support for Israel and its willingness to sacrifice a close ally like Qatar. The fool’s paradise literally exploded over the GCC and Egyptian heads. A rude awakening to discover that they are as much in the Zionist crosshairs as Hamas and Gaza.
The GCC foreign and security policies are evidently hedged to the now-shattered safeguards and capitulations. It was presumed that investments and trade would sustain a bond of friendship with the US sufficient to protect them against Israeli ambitions and guarantee their security. Those shared trade, technological and intelligence arrangements would integrate Israel with Arab security frameworks. The capitulations include resisting, or at least de-prioritising, the formation of a strong Muslim economic and security bloc (as mandated by the OIC) in favour of relying upon Western US-led security. And normalisation based on erasing Palestinian suffering and occupation, and recognising Israel as a legitimate power in the region.
Instead, Israeli missiles supported by the US exploded the strategic delusions spectacularly.
A close US ally, with the largest US military base in the Middle East, has been publicly humiliated by the US and thrown into a nightmare where its real geo-strategic worth has been laid bare. As Qatar evaluates what happened, who supported or enabled the strikes, and its options, the GCC and Egypt must also deal with the “new” reality of not being safe from Israel’s expansionist ambitions. With the presumed certainties demolished in one strike, it is now clear to all Arab leaders and their citizens that their strategic thinking has been confirmed as an abject failure – indeed, the king is naked!
The strikes on Qatar prove that the US is brutally transactional to those outside of its normative-political bloc; there is no international, humanitarian law, no human rights or other moral guardrails
In response, face-saving to hide the duplicity. The US has contrived apologies to contain the damage from the US’s blatant double standard in its security cover and to assuage GCC and Qatari pride. Crucially, to ensure that the GCC remain firmly tied to its security framework, the US has offered a pyrrhic concession to Qatar with the extension of the Article 5-type guarantee – something that a major NATO member, Turkey, already doubts will provide it any meaningful defence against Israeli aggression.
The strikes on Qatar prove that the US is brutally transactional to those outside of its normative-political bloc; there is no international, humanitarian law, no human rights or other moral guardrails. When it comes to Israel, the US and much of the EU are not your allies or patrons. Economic-financial power may be necessary for purchasing a semblance of security, but it is never a sufficient guarantee. It is a folly in the extreme to rely on technology controlled and operated by others.
Countries led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE deliberately prevented a strong Muslim bloc from emerging under the aegis of the OIC, the second-largest governmental alliance globally. Had the OIC developed as mandated, a massive trading and economic power would have emerged. Investments in technology, innovation and local development would have strengthened sovereignty and clout on the global stage. A strong and effective OIC could have provided a homegrown, locally owned security shield against such aggression. But alas, one reaps what one sows. The GCC and the Egyptian rulers have been exposed as incapable of protecting their own sovereignty and peoples – never mind the Palestinians.
It begs the question, with all the fanfare for Trump’s visit, how did the people benefit from GCC investments in the West and commitments made to Trump amounting to over two trillion US dollars? Why have these investments generated zero leverage and/or protection? Why are the investments not being redirected towards strengthening their sovereignty and security? What are Western military bases doing in their countries when they cannot be relied upon to protect their peoples and interests?
Critically, the strike on Qatar is a litmus test for the GCC, the Arab League and OIC and what solidarity really means when challenged so blatantly. True to their record, we saw more theatre. The 27-point Final Communiqué issued by the Arab-Islamic Emergency Summit (15 September 2025) “to affirm Arab and Islamic solidarity and the security of the Arab and Islamic States” regurgitates more inconsequential resolutions.
Anodyne resolutions and rhetoric continue to embolden Israel by extending its impunity, which enhances the vulnerabilities for those in the crosshairs of greater Israel
Had these countries a shred of sincerity, dignity, they could have sanctioned Israel, terminated the normalisation agreements, demanded Israel’s expulsion from the UN, launched the Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition against Israel’s state terrorism, revoked their promised US investments, directed Western bases to leave their territories and/or sanction countries – including Muslim countries – supporting the cruel genocide in Gaza, invoke the Uniting for Peace resolution.
Sadly, these bodies betray a complete lack of courage, unity of purpose and solidarity to implement an effective and concrete collective response to deter Israel and its patrons. “As expected, the meeting of the Muslim countries ended in a hollow declaration,” decried Pakistan’s Mufti Taqi Usmani. “If this was all that was to happen, what was the need for such a grand meeting?” Anodyne resolutions and rhetoric continue to embolden Israel by extending its impunity, which enhances the vulnerabilities for those in the crosshairs of greater Israel. It also enhances citizens’ disillusionment and resentment with their ruling elites, eroding legitimacy, security and stability.
The repeated inability to agree on a collective solution at times of existential crises highlights the urgent need to restructure the OIC, Arab League and GCC to be representative of and accountable to local citizens.
To fill the security void rapidly, Qatar could negotiate a bilateral arrangement like the “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, described as ‘an “Islamic NATO” in the making’ (23 Sept. 2025, Sky News). As a possible security provider, this attack serves as a reality check for Pakistan (and others) who need to critically evaluate their respective and collective vulnerabilities, strategic positions and capacities to dismantle Israeli and other threats to their national and collective security and strengthen their economic and technological bases and cooperation to invest in an effective security deterrence for partners.
With the old certainties shattered, betraying the national ruling elites’ folly for their strategic, security and foreign investments and policies, the Arab-Muslim countries need to wake up. Crucially, there must be greater public scrutiny of such failed policies. Arab-Muslim citizens must stand with those protesting their governments’ complicity in genocide in Western and Latin American capitals by demanding answers from their governments: why is the GCC, Egypt and others busy de-legitimising Hamas, a democratically elected grassroots movement, and their cause, rather than confronting the cruel genocide and starvation of the Palestinians that is livestreamed on our media screens for over 200 days? What is the probable impact of Trump’s proposed 20-Point Gaza Peace Plan for Palestine? Essentially, to muster the courage to meaningfully strengthen solidarity, form a bloc capable of resisting aggression and strengthening the rules-based world order, serving as a security guarantee for all, and standing against genocide unconditionally.