The Arab World Center for research and advanced studies on July 20th, 2022, hosted Dr. Mostafa El Fiky, the renowned Arab intellectual, to discuss his understanding of how Arab countries perceive relations with the US. According to El Fiky, US President Biden’s visit to the region marked a necessary change in US foreign policy, following a period in which his administration leaned towards disengaging from the Middle East, in continuation of a tendency which first emerged under the Trump Administration.
.
Historically, the US started to be interested in the Middle East under the Eisenhower Administration, when colonial powers, specifically the British and French, were beginning to depart from the region, and the processes of decolonization and national liberation were in full swing. Cairo, under President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s leadership, became a center for this rising tide. President Eisenhower then began to perceive the necessity of filling what he perceived as a power vacuum left by the departing powers. The current US stance regarding the Middle East leans towards the perception that it would be difficult for the US to isolate itself from the Middle east region, because leadership has its costs, which is why China is not keen to assume that role.
Dr El Fiky asserts that the changes in the Biden Administration’s stance towards the Middle East is directly related to the Russian-Ukrainian war. If this war had not occurred, the administration would have ignored all issues related to the Middle East, or at best given them a very low priority, in view of the unfriendly statements towards a number of countries in the region made by President Biden. However, the pressure on the US President as the result of the recent energy crisis following the sanctions on Russia, propelled him to restore, in one form or another, US political presence in the Middle East.
In the context of an interest-led US foreign policy, such a visit would have been unimaginable before the Russian-Ukrainian war. The US was clearly signaling its intention to disengage from the Middle East, although the process of withdrawal from Afghanistan reflected poorly on the current administration. In many Arab circles there emerged a sense of concern regarding US policies and their adverse effects on the Arab region, as well as a sense that the US does not seem to fully grasp the region’s nature and characteristics.
The Visit
Dr El Fiky outlined his perceptions regarding President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia, where he also met with Arab leaders from Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan and Iraq. The main features of this visit include:
A lukewarm reception: There was a perception preceding the visit that the whole affair would be lukewarm, as it was linked to the energy crisis, and calling on oil exporting countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, to increase production. Some were under the misapprehension that US- Saudi relations would be restored to their previous standing, as both parties appear to wish for this. However, Saudi Arabia may have reservations regarding US pressures in reference to the Jamal Khashoggi issue. At any rate, under the current circumstances, President Biden is not in a position to pressure Saudi Arabia.
The emergence of a sense of “equality” in US-Arab relations: For the first time, Arab leaders had an encounter with the US in which they were on a more equal footing. In this context, the Arabs, in Al Fiky’s view, would do well to learn from Iran, which has a far more proactive foreign policy, and is skilled at manipulating international relations. Arabs on the whole have historically been more hesitant to take strong positions.
This “equal footing” could provide the foundations on which to formulate relations in the future, as the sessions of the Arab-US Summit reflected a sense of political awakening, and a wish to develop inter-Arab cooperation. It can be argued that all parties are seeking to establish healthy, acceptable relations that can be further built on.
A more moderate stance towards Iran: Although there is not a unified Arab stance towards Iran, the Biden visit was followed by what appears to be a more moderate stance in this respect. For example, the UAE has announced that it will not be party to any coalition directed against a specific country.Saudi Arabia expressed the view that Iran is a neighbor, calling on it to coexist peacefully.Egypt’s participation in any format of security cooperation does not mean that it is against Iran.
It appears that arrangements touted before the visit did not come to pass, and that Arab views differed from what the US envisaged. News reports circulating before the visit indicated that there was a desire to establish some form of coalition or front against Iran, but not an alliance in the typical sense. This was not, however, what the Arabs intended, and the summit demonstrated a proactive Arab stance in outlining positions consistent with the Arab vision.
Arab Consensus
El Fiky outlined a number of points which, from his point of view, may be considered to represent the Arab view regarding the limits of the US’ role and the future of Arab-US relations. These include the following:
Non-interference in domestic Arab affairs: Arab countries wish to end US interventions in their domestic affairs. Achieving this goal remains dependent on the existence of at least a minimal level of agreement between Arab states, which could emerge on the basis of what was achieved at the Jedda Summit, where Arab agreement on certain issues proved effective.
A just position regarding the Palestinian issue: The Arabs want the US to adopt a fair stance regarding this issue, as reports prior to the visit indicated President Biden was seeking to achieve a wider level of normalization between the Arabs and Israel during this visit. The objective appeared to formulate a front, in response to the parallel summit in Iran, embodying a Russian-Turkish-Iranian view.
Supporting counter-terrorism efforts: President Biden recognizes the role of the West in the development of terrorism, and the responsibility the west has in combatting it. The points outlined by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in his address to the Jeddah Summit are the prerequisites of joint Arab action in this respect.
A Vision for the Future
From El Fiky’s point of view, the significance of President Biden’s visit was exaggerated. He argues that the Jedda Summit supported the Arab stance, and the Arab countries did not give President Biden what he wanted. If President Biden makes any gains, this will only be with Arab approval, which highlights the necessity of developing joint Arab stances, focusing on points of agreement and putting aside issues of contention.
Al Fiky sees no political future for Biden, as he came to the presidency in the context of very complex conditions. The issue of Arab-US relations must therefore be the subject of further study to develop new ideas and frameworks to govern their future trajectory.