What are the positions of the Arab countries on the Israel-Palestine issue?

Arab countries officially support the demands of the Palestinians. However, issues of security and regional as well as sectarian tensions in various parts of the Middle East have complicated their relationships with the Palestinians. This has led to political and military crises.

Jordan

In 1948, when Israel was established, at least 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced to leave their lands. Jordan sheltered a large number of these Palestinians. Later, after Israel’s victory in the 1967 war against Arab countries, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), led by Yasser Arafat, took refuge in Jordan.

The PLO launched attacks on Israel from across the Jordanian border and even posed a threat to King Hussein of Jordan. In 1970, gunmen opened fire on the king’s motorcade, but he survived. In response, he launched a counterattack, leading to a civil war. Thousands of people were killed, and the Palestinians were later expelled to Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.

In 1994, Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel to normalize relations. Before that, only one Arab country—Egypt—had signed a peace treaty with Israel.

Lebanon

After the PLO relocated from Jordan to Lebanon, the country—already divided among various factions—descended into a multifaceted civil war in 1975. Palestinian refugee camps became frequent targets of attacks by Israeli forces, Syrian troops, and various Lebanese militias. These groups were vying for control of Lebanon, which was once known as the “Switzerland of the Middle East.”

The conflict in Lebanon lasted for 15 years. One of the most brutal incidents during this period was the massacre of at least 800 Palestinian civilians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps by members of a Lebanese Christian militia. That group was backed and funded by Israel. However, according to Palestinian accounts, the death toll was in the thousands.

The Lebanese government has consistently voiced support for the rights of Palestinian refugees. However, it has been unwilling to grant them full citizenship rights, drawing criticism from human rights organizations. Lebanon’s stated reason for this policy is to prevent the permanent settlement of Palestinians in the country, with the hope that they will eventually return to their homeland.

Egypt

Among Arab countries, Egypt—the most populous—considers itself a major supporter of Palestine. Since October 2023, Egypt has been mediating between Israel and Hamas to stop the ongoing atrocities in Gaza. Cairo has also played a key role in ending previous conflicts and facilitating peace talks.

Egypt maintains good relations with Hamas and other Palestinian factions. Since winning the Palestinian legislative elections in 2007, Hamas has been governing Gaza. Hamas is an offshoot of Egypt’s political group, the Muslim Brotherhood. Mohamed Morsi, who was elected president of Egypt, came from that organization. In 2013, Morsi was ousted in a military coup led by the current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Egypt’s priority is to maintain security between Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula. Since Hamas took control of Gaza, Egypt has assisted Israel in blockading the territory. Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. According to Palestinians living in Egypt, they are increasingly facing bureaucratic and security-related challenges.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a wealthy country in the region. In 2020, with U.S. mediation, it established diplomatic relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords. This agreement broke with the long-standing Arab tradition of not normalizing ties with Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The UAE and Israel now maintain close economic and security ties. Both countries cooperate in defense matters. In the midst of ongoing attacks on Gaza, this past January, UAE-based defense technology company EDGE announced a $10 million investment for a 30% stake in Israel’s ThirdEye Systems, a company that develops technologies for detecting drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles.

Sudan

In 1967, Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, was the site of the announcement of the “Three No’s” resolution. This declaration stated: No recognition of Israel, no peace with Israel, and no negotiations with Israel.

However, in October 2020, Sudan agreed to normalize relations with Israel. At the time, Donald Trump was serving his first term as President of the United States. As part of the agreement, the Trump administration pledged to remove Sudan from the list of “State Sponsors of Terrorism.” Being on that list had long isolated Khartoum from the global economy.

Kuwait

In 1990, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein decided to invade neighboring Kuwait. It is believed that PLO leader Yasser Arafat supported this decision. As a result, Kuwait severed its ties with Arafat.

Kuwait had been a significant supporter and financial backer of Arafat. He founded the Fatah movement while working in Kuwait in 1964. However, after Iraq was defeated in the U.S.-led war, Kuwait expelled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the country.

Irak

Under Saddam Hussein’s rule, Palestinians who took refuge in Iraq were given subsidized housing. Free education was provided for them, and they were granted the right to work—privileges that were rare for foreigners in Iraq at the time.

However, after Saddam’s fall in 2003, Palestinians living in Iraq faced repression and violence. Many were expelled by newly empowered Shia militant groups.

The Israel-Palestine conflict has long shaped the political landscape of the Middle East, and Arab countries have responded to it in ways that reflect their unique histories, alliances, and internal dynamics. While most Arab nations have historically expressed strong support for the Palestinian cause, especially the right to self-determination and statehood, shifting geopolitical interests, internal security concerns, and international pressure have led to a divergence in their approaches.

Some countries like Jordan and Egypt, with deep historical and geographical ties to the Palestinian issue, have played critical roles as mediators while also maintaining peace treaties with Israel. Others, such as the UAE and Sudan, have normalized ties with Israel in pursuit of strategic and economic gains, signaling a changing tide in regional diplomacy. Meanwhile, nations like Lebanon and Iraq have hosted Palestinian populations under complex and often harsh conditions, shaped by internal sectarian politics and security challenges.

What remains clear is that the Palestinian struggle continues to be a deeply emotional and symbolic issue across the Arab world, even as governments balance solidarity with realpolitik. The future of Arab support for Palestine will likely depend on both regional shifts and developments on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as the broader international community’s role in shaping a just resolution.