The emergency Arab summit is being held in Cairo today, Tuesday, amid extremely complex regional and international circumstances, as Arab countries face major challenges in confronting Israeli and American policies that threaten Arab national security, especially with regard to the Palestinian issue and specifically the Gaza Strip.

In separate interviews with “I”, writers, political analysts and specialists confirm that this summit highlights its importance, especially since it comes in the wake of American and Israeli proposals aimed at displacing the residents of the Gaza Strip, which puts the Arab countries before a real test to prove their ability to protect their national interests and confront the challenges that threaten the stability of the region.

According to writers, analysts and specialists, one of the most prominent challenges facing the summit is the absence of a unified Arab political will, in addition to dependence on American and Israeli policies that limit the summit’s ability to make effective decisions on the ground. The internal Palestinian division also complicates the situation, as it weakens the ability to achieve Palestinian national unity that supports the position of Arab countries in confronting the Israeli occupation.

They stress that despite these challenges, the summit represents a historic opportunity for Arab countries to unite their ranks and take a firm stance against Israeli and American plans. It is expected that the summit will issue decisions that support the Palestinian cause, but their impact will remain limited in light of the absence of effective executive mechanisms and increasing external pressures.

They stress that hope is pinned on this summit to provide practical solutions that will rebuild Gaza and strengthen Palestinian unity, but its success will depend largely on the ability of Arab countries to overcome their internal differences and confront external challenges with a unified position.

Big challenges facing the Cairo Summit

Writer and political researcher Dr. Aql Salah believes that the emergency Arab summit being held in Cairo faces major challenges, most notably the absence of effective implementation tools on the ground, as its decisions will remain subject to the American and Israeli ceilings, which means that any outcomes will not go beyond the framework of satisfying the American administration headed by Donald Trump.

Salah explains that the second challenge lies in the absence of real Arab political will, because if this will had existed, the situation in Gaza would not have reached this level of destruction, tens of thousands of martyrs would not have fallen, and the policies of genocide and starvation would not have continued, or the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

Salah explains that the third challenge is very similar to what happened in the 1967 war, when Israel occupied large parts of Palestine and some Arab countries, and today it has returned to occupy parts of Lebanon and Syria in addition to its continued occupation of the Palestinian territories, which places the summit facing a fateful challenge similar to the 1967 setback, but in a more complex context.

Salah points out that the summit is not being held to confront Trump’s displacement decisions, but rather to absorb his anger, which represents a major political setback, as it would have been more appropriate to take a firm stance against American and Israeli policies, and to work to reject the Israeli occupation in all Arab countries, not just in Palestine.

Salah stresses that among the major challenges facing the summit is the internal Palestinian division, as there is no consensus among the Palestinian factions on the management of the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank is weak and suffers from a crisis of confidence, which makes Arab countries hesitant to assign it the reconstruction file, especially in light of fears of financial corruption and mismanagement.

Salah points out that Arab participation in the reconstruction of Gaza will be conditional, as it will require ending the military presence of the resistance factions, specifically the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, which may amount to imposing a ban on the Hamas movement inside the Strip, which is a dangerous development that may affect the future of the Palestinian cause.

Salah explains that expectations from the summit are very modest, as it is likely that a roadmap will be put forward regarding the management of the Gaza Strip, but it will remain subject to the American and Israeli ceiling, which means that it will not achieve real progress in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Salah expects the summit to remain theoretical without adopting implementation projects on the ground, given that the Arab countries do not have tools to pressure Israel or the United States, or perhaps their unwillingness to use them.

Salah believes that the summit will emphasize the rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians to Arab countries, and will reaffirm the Arab position rejecting normalization with Israel without reaching a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.

Despite the challenges, Salah stresses the need for the summit to come out with a clear political project that sets a unified Arab position that forces Israel to recognize the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and for the summit to adopt decisions that go beyond statements of condemnation and denunciation to take practical steps to confront the occupation.

Salah calls for taking a clear position on the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon and southern Syria, and working to force the occupation to withdraw from these areas through effective political and diplomatic moves.

Salah stresses that issuing an enforceable Arab statement that takes national and Arab interests into consideration, away from American pressures, would be a necessary step, but he rules out this happening in light of the current Arab situation, which has not even been able to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza throughout the period of the ongoing aggression.

The summit comes at a very sensitive time.

Writer and political analyst Firas Yaghi explains that the emergency Arab summit in Cairo comes at a very sensitive time, following US President Donald Trump’s proposal to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and turn it into what he called the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Yaghi confirms that this summit came to respond to that plan, but it faces major challenges, the most important of which are the Israeli and American positions regarding the future of the Strip.

Yaghi explains that the Israeli demands go beyond the issue of whether Hamas will remain or not, as the Israeli plan aims to empty Gaza of its population, including the displacement of all Palestinians from the Strip.

Yaghi stresses that confronting this proposal is considered part of Arab national security, especially for both Egypt and Jordan.

Yaghi stresses that if this plan is not confronted, it will lead to Israel’s dominance over the region, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu becoming Trump’s “high commissioner” in the region.

He points out that the main challenge facing the Cairo summit is represented by Israeli attempts not only to remove Hamas from ruling the Gaza Strip, but also to try to prevent any geographical, political, legal and administrative unity between the West Bank and Gaza, by undermining the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

Yaghi explains that the separation between the West Bank and Gaza is part of the plan to liquidate the Palestinian cause, which includes annexing parts of the West Bank to Israel, and what is happening now in the so-called framework of the “Greater Jerusalem” project is only the beginning.

Yaghi points out that the Israeli law, which was presented to the ministerial committee to be approved by the government and then legislated in the Knesset, aims to establish a legal formula for annexing the settlements surrounding Jerusalem to the city. This will add 223 square kilometers of West Bank land to Israel, in addition to adding about 184,000 settlers to Jerusalem.

The second challenge in the Cairo summit, according to Yaghi, is related to the issue of resistance in Gaza, as Israel is demanding the disarmament of the resistance in the Strip, in addition to the removal of the leaders of Hamas and the Palestinian factions.

Yaghi explains that the third challenge is related to Israel's attempt to restore Egyptian guardianship over the Gaza Strip, which Egypt strongly rejects, because that means completely liquidating the Palestinian cause under the name of "ending the two-state concept."

Yaghi points out that the Arab position must be decisive and clear at this summit, to reject any Israeli and American attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause.

Yaghi stressed that what is required of the Cairo Summit is to adopt a plan based on the Arab Peace Initiative, reject displacement plans, and demand the reconstruction of Gaza while its residents remain there.

He stresses the importance of adopting a position that rejects the annexation of Palestinian lands and the abolition of the two-state concept, and that the Arab response to Israeli and American attempts should be to propose practical solutions that guarantee the rights of the Palestinians.

Regarding the American position, Yaghi confirms that the success of the Cairo Summit in presenting a unified and coherent plan may have a major impact on the American position, especially if the United States adopts and supports this plan.

Yaghi believes that if the Arab plan is accepted, it may necessarily lead to changes in the Israeli position that will affect the government internally, and the Israeli Prime Minister may be forced to face internal challenges that may push him to call for early elections.

He stressed that the emergency Cairo summit represents a historic and fateful opportunity for the Arab world to reject Trump and Netanyahu's plan to liquidate the Palestinian cause, including separating Gaza from the West Bank and displacing the residents of the Strip.

Yaghi stresses that the unified Arab position is very important because it will serve as a basis for achieving balance in the conflict, in terms of protecting the rights of the Palestinians, and keeping the Palestinian issue on the international and regional agenda.

An opportunity to enhance Arab cooperation to meet challenges

Writer and political researcher Dr. Tamara Haddad confirms that this emergency Arab summit in Cairo is a crucial opportunity to enhance joint Arab cooperation in confronting current regional and international challenges.

Haddad believes that the emergency summit is being held at a very important time, especially since US President Donald Trump's plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza affects not only Egyptian and Jordanian national security, but also the regional security of the entire region.

Haddad points out that the challenges facing the Arab Summit are becoming increasingly complex, especially in light of the presence of an extreme right-wing government in Israel that seeks to exacerbate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which makes dealing with this government extremely complicated.

Haddad points out that this government is constantly working to increase tensions and violations in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Haddad explains that the summit will face major challenges related to the situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, especially in light of the continued Israeli violations.

Haddad points to the difficult humanitarian situation in Gaza, where humanitarian aid is being prevented from entering, as part of pressure exerted by Israel on Hamas to force it to release the hostages.

Haddad considers these developments a major challenge for the Arab Summit, which must find effective solutions for Palestinian reconciliation and achieve internal stability in Gaza.

Haddad points out that the summit will also face another challenge, which is how to rebuild the Gaza Strip without displacing its residents, stressing that this issue needs an effective mechanism that guarantees the provision of funding and support, which requires Arab consensus on who will manage the Gaza Strip after reconstruction.

She points out that despite the Egyptian initiative to train Palestinian police officers to reorganize the security situation in Gaza, the issue of managing the Strip remains one of the biggest challenges that the summit will face.

Regarding Palestinian reconciliation, Haddad explains that the summit seeks to strengthen Palestinian national unity and form a technocratic government to run Gaza during the transitional period.

Haddad stresses that this solution requires consensus among the various Palestinian parties, including Hamas, to achieve stability in the Strip and ensure the continuity of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza.

As for the regional and international challenges, Haddad confirms that the Arab Summit will face great pressure due to the volatile situation in Syria and Lebanon, where the Arab countries face continuous threats from Israel, which exerts pressure in southern Lebanon and Syria and occupies them.

Haddad explains that these regional risks greatly affect the Palestinian cause, making coordination between Arab countries more important than ever.

She stressed that the Arab Summit in Cairo represents a historic opportunity to unify the Arab position, and must come out with recommendations that support the Palestinian cause in a strong and unified manner.

Haddad points out that what is required is to adopt effective strategies to rebuild Gaza without displacing the population, in addition to strengthening political and diplomatic efforts to stop the ongoing Israeli violations.

Haddad stressed the importance of supporting Palestinian national unity, while emphasizing the need for a unified Palestinian administration capable of confronting the security and humanitarian challenges in Gaza.

Haddad stressed that the emergency Arab summit represents an important opportunity to enhance Arab solidarity and develop effective strategies to support the Palestinian cause in the face of Israeli and American plans.

She stressed that hope is pinned on this summit to provide practical and comprehensive solutions to rebuild Gaza and strengthen Palestinian unity in light of the major challenges facing the region.

The Gaza Challenge and the Lack of Arab Consensus

Nizar Nazzal, a researcher specializing in Israeli affairs and conflict issues, confirms that the Arab summit in Cairo faces major challenges, most notably Israeli intransigence in implementing the stages of the agreement to stop the war on the Gaza Strip, in addition to Arab disagreements over fundamental issues, most notably the displacement file and the internal Palestinian division.

Nazzal explains that Israel is stalling on moving to the second and third stages of the agreement, as it continues to exploit the humanitarian situation in Gaza as a pressure card on the Palestinians, pointing out that Tel Aviv is “blackmailing the Palestinians with a piece of bread, a bag of flour, and a sip of water,” which makes the first stage limited to a humanitarian protocol without any tangible political progress.

Nazzal explains that the Arab Summit will face another challenge represented by the lack of Arab consensus on the description of displacement, as Arab countries differ on its definition. While some talk about “forced displacement,” there are those who try to reduce the severity of the term or limit it to certain contexts, while Nazzal confirms that this discrepancy represents a major problem that may affect the outcomes of the summit.

Nazzal points out that the lack of Arab will to use harsh tools against Israel is one of the most prominent challenges, asking: “Will there be a threat of military action against Israel?” especially in light of the continued Israeli escalation and its effects on Arab geography, particularly in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.

Nazzal explains that the Arab countries have important pressure cards, such as strategic relations with the United States, pointing out that the summit may resort to using these cards more clearly than before, especially on the part of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, in light of these countries’ connection to strategic interests with Washington.

Regarding the internal Palestinian situation, Nazzal confirms that the continued division between the Palestinian factions constitutes a major obstacle to any Arab decisions, pointing out that the Palestinians have not yet succeeded in putting their internal house in order and agreeing on a unified national project.

Nazzal points out that the summit may adopt a resolution calling on the Palestinians to achieve national unity, but he rules out any real response from the Palestinian parties, whether the Palestinian Authority or Hamas.

He points out that Israel categorically rejects the return of either party to rule the Gaza Strip, which further complicates the political scene.

Nazzal expects the summit's outcomes to be more severe than before, especially with regard to the Arab position towards the geopolitics of the region, noting that Jordan has begun to escalate its rhetoric, as the Jordanian Foreign Minister has threatened the possibility of resorting to military action if Israel insists on displacing the Palestinians.

Nazzal points to Egyptian military movements, such as the deployment of the Third Army in sensitive areas, which reflects the state of tension and verbal escalation between the elites in Egypt and Israel.

Nazzal believes that the summit will adopt decisive decisions regarding its position on Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, but in return it will remain limited in its impact on the internal Palestinian reality, as it will be limited to rejecting displacement and calling for unity, without the existence of actual mechanisms to implement these directions.

The most prominent challenge is the deliberate escalation led by Netanyahu

Writer and political analyst Dr. Abdul Majeed Sweilem asserts that the most prominent challenge facing the upcoming Cairo Summit is the deliberate Israeli escalation led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He believes that this escalation is not merely a political reaction, but rather a clear attempt by Netanyahu to challenge the Arab Summit and send a message that he will not give up his new conditions, which in essence represent a renunciation of previous agreements and a repudiation of any commitments he previously made.

Suwailem explains that the real test of the summit lies in its ability to provide a firm practical response to Netanyahu’s policies, and to stop his excesses, which have become hysterical, both on the political and military levels, pointing out that the current occupation government is living in a state of chaos and lack of vision, as it relies only on blackmail, killing and threats without any real political strategy.

Suwailem points out that the United States, despite its traditional influence in the region, does not represent a major challenge to the summit, as the position of US President Donald Trump’s administration is constantly changing according to American circumstances and interests, explaining that US policy has become clear and can be dealt with consciously and wisely by Arab countries.

Suwailem explains that the strong influence of the Zionist lobby within the United States, especially the most extreme wing close to the "Trumpian" right, strengthens Netanyahu's position, but it does not necessarily mean that the Arabs are incapable of confronting him. On the contrary, they possess many strong cards that can be used if there is political will.

According to Suwailem, what is required from the summit is to cause a political shock to Netanyahu, forcing him to rethink his calculations, considering that ignoring the Israeli escalation and not confronting it with firm decisions will only lead to more Israeli extremism and escalation, whether in the Gaza Strip or at the level of the Palestinian file as a whole.

Suwailem believes that Netanyahu claims to have strong cards, but in reality he does not have any, pointing out that his continuous threats to launch a new military operation in Gaza will only lead to more losses for the Israelis themselves, especially after the massive destruction that has befallen the Strip and the depletion of Israel’s target bank.

Suwailem stresses that Netanyahu's attempts to impose his conditions on the Palestinian resistance, such as handing over prisoners and weapons without stopping the war, are illogical and unachievable, pointing out that the only solution lies in reaching a balanced political settlement based on international legitimacy.

Suwailem wondered about the effective Arab role in light of the international changes and accelerating regional tensions, pointing out that the absence of a clear and cohesive Arab project is one of the main reasons for Israel’s persistence in its aggressive policies.

Saudi Arabia can reshape the regional landscape

He explains that if Egypt is burdened by economic crises, and Jordan is suffering from additional pressures, then Saudi Arabia is more qualified than others to take the initiative and lead an effective Arab axis, taking advantage of its political, religious and financial position.

Suwailem believes that Saudi Arabia, through its leadership role, can rearrange the regional scene and establish a unified Arab position capable of protecting the national interests of the Arab and Islamic nation, stressing the need for collective Arab action to confront the growing threats in the region.

Suwailem stresses that the success of the Cairo Summit depends primarily on its ability to make decisive decisions to stop Netanyahu's encroachment and restore balance to the political scene, warning that failure to do so will mean Israel continuing its escalation and imposing its conditions unilaterally.

Suwailem points out that the summit is witnessing internal contradictions between the Arab countries, as some see that confrontation with Israel is inevitable, while others believe in the necessity of coexisting with reality and trying to avoid further risks.

Suwailem stressed that the opportunity still exists for the Arabs to take a unified position, expressing his hope that the summit will witness a real Arab awakening that will put an end to the continued Israeli excesses.

A historic opportunity for Arabs to reject pressure

Writer and political analyst Imad Moussa asserts that the Arab League is facing, for the first time since its inception, a public challenge represented by the proposals of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which aim to explode the situation in the Gaza Strip by displacing its residents to Egypt and Jordan, in addition to proposing the idea of displacing them to Saudi Arabia, with the aim of pushing the latter to officially recognize Israel.

Musa explains that this proposal comes within the framework of a broader plan aimed at imposing normalization between Israel and Arab countries.

Musa points out that these proposals aim to direct pressure on Saudi Arabia, as the far-right government in Israel seeks to create a diplomatic situation that allows Israel to establish official relations with the Kingdom, which will enable it to expand the siege of Yemen and Iran.

Musa points out that this plan exploits Israel's strategic relations in the Red Sea region, specifically in the Greater and Lesser Hanish Islands, as these military sites are considered a starting point for limiting Iranian influence, especially through security and military coordination with Ethiopia.

Musa believes that controlling the sources of the Nile River is one of the hidden goals that this alliance seeks to achieve.

Musa warns that this proposal may have serious repercussions on stability in the region, especially since it aims to occupy the Egyptian leadership with the issue of displacing the residents of Gaza, which may force it to take punitive steps against the Gaza Strip and the resistance factions, which may threaten Arab national security.

Regarding the expected position of the Arab summit, Musa believes that it is difficult to predict the orientations of the Arab countries, given the special relationship that links some of the summit countries with the American administration and Israel.

Musa stresses that there is a historic opportunity for Arab countries to reject these pressures, and that these countries may seek to take a strong position in confronting this project, through negotiating with the American administration to push it to back down.

The necessity of activating relations with China and BRICS countries

Musa stresses the need to activate political and economic relations with China and the BRICS countries, noting that this stage represents an opportunity to expand the circle of Arab influence away from American and Israeli hegemony.

Musa believes that the Arab peoples have great hopes for Arab awareness of the dangers of these projects, not only for the Palestinian cause, but for the future of countries and peoples in the region in general.