Opinion - Netanyahu's West Bank miscalculation is uniting the Arab world on Palestine
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long thrived on regional fragmentation, most recently cutting normalization deals, known as the Abraham Accords, with Arab states while sidelining the Palestinian issue. But that strategy is collapsing.
In a historic miscalculation, Netanyahu's refusal to allow Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and a delegation of Arab foreign ministers to visit the West Bank has provoked outrage and accelerated Arab unity behind the formal recognition of a Palestinian state.
To be clear, Hamas bears full responsibility for its brutal Oct. 7 terrorist attacks against Israel that ignited the Gaza War. Hamas's continued rejection of U.S.-backed cease-fire proposals has prolonged the problem. At the same time, Netanyahu's response — marked by the indiscriminate killing of civilians and disregard for international law — has further isolated Israel on the world stage.
Prince Faisal's visit would have marked the first official Saudi stop in Palestinian territory since 1967. Coordinated by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, the delegation aimed to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah and send a clear diplomatic message that the Palestinian cause is a central priority for the Arab and Muslim world. Instead, Netanyahu's government denied the group entry, labeling the trip 'provocative.'
The message received in the region was very different: Israeli leadership is so entrenched in its rejection of Palestinian statehood that it would rather slam doors on long-standing Arab allies such as Egypt and Jordan than allow symbolic gestures of solidarity. Palestinian officials called the move dangerous and unprecedented. Countries like the UAE — recently aligned with Netanyahu under the Abraham Accords — joined the delegation, underscoring a notable shift in Arab consensus.
This is not an isolated diplomatic fallout. It's a turning point — and Saudi Arabia is leading the change. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman embodies the heart and pulse of the Middle East. His government, once rumored to be nearing normalization with Israel, has taken a firm stance: no recognition without Palestinian statehood.
Not only did the prince push the blocked West Bank visit, but Saudi Arabia is now co-chairing a high-level international conference with France in June to revive the two-state solution.
This French-Saudi coordination is not merely symbolic — it reflects the emergence of a serious diplomatic front pushing for global recognition of Palestine. French President Emmanuel Macron has called such recognition both a moral duty and a political necessity. The upcoming summit, supported by Arab League consensus and broader international momentum, could see a growing number of countries moving in that direction. Recent recognitions of Palestine by Norway, Spain and Ireland may be just the beginning.
The Arab world has come full circle. Where once there was hesitancy, fragmentation and quiet diplomacy, now there is relative cohesion and conviction. The Palestinian issue is back at the forefront — not because of an intifada or pressure from Western capitals, but because of regional realignment rooted in shared values and strategic recalibration. Netanyahu, who once claimed victory in separating Israel's relations with Arab states from the Palestinian question, now faces a wall of Arab opposition.
Across Arab capitals, young people are increasingly vocal and engaged. They see the horrific images from Gaza in real time. Their identification with the Palestinian cause is not inherited but lived. Their message to governments is clear: Enough symbolism, take action.
Bin Salman has made clear that normalization with Israel is off the table without meaningful progress on Palestinian statehood. The Saudi calculus is realistic and strategic: Long-term regional stability depends on resolving the Palestinian question, not ignoring it.
This realignment is reshaping the global conversation, and Washington must take note. In this new era, Arab states are not waiting for U.S. mediation or Israeli approval — they are leading with their own initiatives, backed by global partners. Whether the Trump administration supports these moves or not, the facts on the ground are shifting.
Netanyahu's defiance is isolating Israel at a time when it needs allies. Refusing entry to foreign ministers attempting peaceful diplomacy doesn't project strength — it reveals fear. And in the process, it is galvanizing exactly what Netanyahu sought to avoid.
A few years ago, the regional narrative focused on normalization. Today, it's about liberation. The next few months will be critical. If the French-Saudi summit catalyzes broader international recognition of Palestine, Netanyahu's strategy will be seen not as visionary but as the catalyst for a historic reversal.
Arab leaders are no longer divided or deferring. They are vocal, aligned and following bin Salman's lead. The road to lasting peace runs through a two-state solution, which begins with recognition of a Palestinian state.
Israelis and Palestinians deserve peace and security, not endless conflict. The world should help deliver this.
David Ramadan, Ed.D. is a Lebanese-American who was elected and served in the Virginia House of Delegates. He is a professor of practice at the Schar School at George Mason University and a scholar at the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Netanyahu survives opposition bid to dissolve parliament
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government survived an opposition bid to dissolve parliament on Thursday, as lawmakers rejected a bill that could have paved the way for snap elections. Out of the Knesset's 120 members, 61 voted against the proposal, with 53 in favour. The opposition had introduced the bill hoping to force elections with the help of ultra-Orthodox parties in the governing coalition angry at Netanyahu over the contentious issue of exemptions from military service for their community. While the opposition is composed mainly of centrist and leftist groups, ultra-Orthodox parties that are propping up Netanyahu's government had earlier threatened to back the motion. The results of the vote Thursday morning, however, showed that most ultra-Orthodox lawmakers ultimately did not back the opposition bill, with just a small number voting in favour. The opposition will now have to wait six months before it can try again. Before the vote, Yuli Edelstein, a lawmaker from Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, announced that after lengthy discussions, parties had agreed on the "principles on which the draft conscription law will be based". Edelstein, who chairs the foreign affairs and defence committee, did not specify the terms of the agreement. "As I said all along -- only a real, effective bill that leads to an expansion of the (Israeli military's) recruitment base will emerge from the committee I chair," he wrote on social media platform X. "This is historic news, and we are on the path to real reform in Israeli society and strengthening the security of the State of Israel." Edelstein had earlier put forward a bill aimed at increasing the number of ultra-Orthodox conscripted, and tightening the penalties for those who refuse to serve. Opposition leader Yair Lapid, meanwhile, said the government was seeing the beginning of the end. "When coalitions begin to fall apart, they fall apart. It started and this is what it looks like when a government begins to collapse," he said. Ultra-Orthodox parties had been given a choice between losing a law on their exemption from military service, or losing their place in the government, and they chose exemption, Lapid added. "The government helped them... organise the exemption of tens of thousands of healthy young people," he said, referring to ultra-Orthodox Israelis. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi hit back, saying the coalition government was "moving forward" and "stronger than ever". Earlier on Wednesday, opposition leaders had said their decision to bring the dissolution bill to the Knesset for a vote was "made unanimously and is binding on all factions". They said that all opposition parties would freeze their lawmaking activities to focus on "the overthrow of the government". Netanyahu's coalition is one of the most right-wing in the country's history. It includes two ultra-Orthodox parties -- Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ). The two parties had threatened to back the motion for early elections. - 'Existential danger' - Military service is mandatory in Israel but, under a ruling that dates back to the country's creation when the ultra-Orthodox were a very small community, men who devote themselves full-time to the study of Jewish scripture are given a de facto pass. Whether that should change has been a long-running issue. Efforts to scrap the exemption have intensified during the nearly 20-month war in Gaza as the military looks for extra manpower. Netanyahu is under pressure from his Likud party to draft more ultra-Orthodox men -- a red line for parties such as Shas, who demand a law guaranteeing their constituents permanent exemption from military service. Ahead of the vote in the early hours of Thursday morning, Israeli media reported that officials from Netanyahu's coalition were holding talks with ultra-Orthodox leaders hoping to find common ground. In an apparent bid to allow time for those negotiations, Netanyahu's coalition filled the Knesset's agenda with bills to delay the vote. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that bringing down the government during wartime would pose "an existential danger" to Israel's future. "History will not forgive anyone who drags the state of Israel into elections during a war," Smotrich told parliament, adding that there was a "national and security need" for ultra-Orthodox to fight in the military. Netanyahu's government is a coalition between his Likud party, far-right groups and ultra-Orthodox parties, whose departure would leave it without a parliamentary majority. bur-gv/jxb/sco/kir
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Israel's Netanyahu Dodges Early Election as Iran Tensions Rise
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government survived an attempt by opposition parties to dissolve parliament early Thursday, as tensions spiked over Iran's nuclear program. The bill was voted down 61 to 53 after hours of negotiation during which Netanyahu persuaded some ultra-Orthodox allies to stick with him despite their anger over attempts to draft religious men into the military, ending a long-time exemption. Details of the compromise weren't immediately made available.
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
Israel considering military strike on Iran, sources say
Israel is considering taking military action against Iran — most likely without U.S. support — in the coming days, even as President Donald Trump is in advanced discussions with Tehran about a diplomatic deal to curtail its nuclear program, according to five people with knowledge of the situation. Israel has become more serious about a unilateral strike on Iran as the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran appear closer to a preliminary or framework agreement that includes provisions about uranium enrichment that Israel views as unacceptable. A unilateral strike or action by Israel against Iran would be a dramatic break with the Trump administration, which has argued against such a step. The renewed threat of an Israeli strike comes as the Trump administration is awaiting a response from Iran on a proposed framework of a nuclear deal, and as the president has publicly said Tehran has become more hardline in its negotiations. The notion of a new front in a simmering conflict has prompted the Trump administration to order all embassies within striking distance of Iranian missiles, aircraft and other assets (including missions in the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Eastern Europe) to send cables with assessments about danger and about measures to mitigate risks to Americans and U.S. infrastructure, according to two sources familiar. U.S. and other officials are on alert awaiting the possibility of Israel striking Iran, the officials said. The White House has not briefed senior lawmakers on the issue, according to that aide and a U.S. official. One major concern is Iran retaliating against U.S. personnel or assets in the region for any action. Israel, which relies on intelligence or other direct and logistical assistance from the U.S., may be in a position to take unilateral action against Tehran, the source familiar said. The sources familiar and officials were not aware of any planned U.S. involvement in the possible action. The U.S. could support with aerial re-fueling or intelligence sharing rather than kinetic support but the sources and officials were not aware of plans for that either at this point. U.S. officials have announced that the voluntary departure of non-essential employees from the region. And the Pentagon announced the voluntary departure of military families from locations all across the U.S. Central Command area of operations. CENTCOM Commander General Erik Kurilla was due to testify on the Hill on Thursday, but the hearing was postponed late Wednesday without explanation. A source familiar said Kurilla had to focus on this unfolding situation. Another possible factor: Iran is rebuilding its strategic air defenses, and manned strikes will soon be exponentially more dangerous for Israeli pilots. In October, Israel damaged nearly every one of Iran's strategic air defense systems (mainly S-300s) but much of the damage was to the radars or other parts that can be rebuilt. It's possible Israel's window for manned strikes, without being threatened by Iran's coordinated strategic air defenses, is closing. While Israel would most likely prefer U.S. military and intelligence support for strikes — especially against Iranian nuclear facilities — they showed in October that they can do a lot alone. Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the evacuation of non-essential staff at the U.S. embassy in Iraq will send a message to Tehran that Trump will not necessarily hold Israel back from launching a threatened attack on Iran. "It's about trying to get Iran to respect the president's wishes," Knights said. Iran has failed to meet a two-month deadline set by Trump to reach an agreement on the country's nuclear activities, and the president is frustrated, he said. Both Knights and a source with knowledge of the matter said it was unclear if Israel would undertake a limited military strike now or wait until nuclear negotiations played out further. Trump has expressed growing frustration over Iran's stance at recent indirect talks, portraying Tehran as inflexible and slow moving. "They're just asking for things that you can't do. They don't want to give up what they have to give up," Trump told reporters on Monday. "They seek enrichment. We can't have enrichment."
