Arab League’s new stance on Syria
By Sa’dollah Zare’i
An expert on regional affairs
Following multiple diplomatic visits to Syria and discussions about bilateral relations, the Arab League has agreed to reinstate Syria’s membership. This decision signifies the acknowledgment of past mistakes made by Arab member states towards Damascus, including the irrational and wrong expulsion of Syria from the league.
While a member of the union in the past, when Syria was in dire need, the Arab League turned its back on the country and became complicit in Western countries’ plans to overthrow the legitimate government of Bashar al-Assad, which would have led to the disintegration of Syria. However, after 12 years of resistance by the Syrian people and government, the overthrow of the Assad government and the division of the country have been ruled out. Thus, the Arab League has accepted the membership of Damascus again.
The renewed membership, of course, is more beneficial to the Arab League than to Syria, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Arab relations. Syria does not necessarily need the Arab League, as the processes in West Asia have shifted from tension to dialogue and interaction. Syria’s return to the Arab League, along with the normalization of Arab countries’ relations with Damascus, the normalization of Iran-Saudi ties, and peace in Yemen, are beneficial to the stability and security of the region.
It is important to note that Arab countries’ reconsideration towards Syria is not directly due to the Iran-Saudi deal, as Arab delegations from countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait had already visited Damascus before the agreement. Rather, it is due to the role played by the resistance front in the region, of which Syria is an important and influential member alongside Iran.
Arab countries have realized after 12 years that they cannot ignore the resistance front as a reality in the region, and now they are paying attention to Syria as the victorious country. Syria, which was supposed to buckle under pressure of delusional regional and extra-regional plans, now stands strong.
Therefore, the acceptance of Syria into the Arab League is a positive and welcome event as it acknowledges the influence of the resistance front and provides a platform for resolving regional conflicts through interaction and dialogue.