OPINIONS

Mon 29 May 2023 10:12 am - Jerusalem Time

Jerusalem in the Jeddah Declaration... the real application?

I don't know if my obsession with the number of words and phrases in official statements matters or not, but I am inclined to the principle that words have meanings. Therefore, I did a numerical analysis of the number of words and phrases repeated in the Jeddah Declaration of the Arab Summit that was organized recently, in an attempt to understand more deeply the official Arab positions.


Whoever analyzes this statement and compares it, for example, with the "Algeria Declaration" of the previous Arab summit, will notice the vast difference, which may be reflected in a different seriousness that includes initiatives and concerns that were not mentioned in any previous Arab summit statement. And of course, the command key remains in the application. I believe that the seriousness and attention to detail that the observer notices means that Saudi Arabia in 2023 is different from Saudi Arabia and most of the Arab countries that have previously hosted Arab League summits.


It is normal for the word Arabs and Arabs to be mentioned 28 times in a statement of the League of Arab States, and it is good that Palestine/Palestinian was mentioned seven times, equally with Sudan. Jerusalem was mentioned six times. As for Syria, whose president's presence was important news, it was mentioned three times. The difference in the Jeddah Declaration was in the non-political fields, for example, the phrase “initiative” was repeated eight times (twice for political matters, the Arab peace initiative and the Gulf initiative on Yemen) while the rest of the initiatives are of an economic and cultural nature. The word economy was mentioned seven times, the phrase sustainable development six times, and the phrase culture/cultural four times, including an emphasis on the importance of the Arabic language (twice) and teaching Arabic to non-Arabs.

The Saudi government's initiatives were distinctive in the "Jeddah Declaration", which it will work on during the 12-month period during which it will chair the Arab summit, and it includes various topics. For example, paying attention to green culture by supporting environmentally friendly cultural practices and using them to support the creative economy in the Arab countries, ensuring Arab food security, paying attention to water desalination, establishing intellectual incubators, and others. Interest in joint Arab action in addressing various challenges may be one of the most important things mentioned in the final statement. For example, it states the belief of Arab leaders "that visions and plans based on investing resources, opportunities, and addressing challenges are capable of localizing development, activating available capabilities, and investing in technology." In order to achieve a comprehensive Arab industrial and agricultural renaissance whose construction is integrated with the capabilities of our countries, which requires us to consolidate our solidarity and strengthen our interdependence and unity to achieve the aspirations and aspirations of our Arab peoples.


Returning to the Palestinian issue and Jerusalem, which the Arabs expressed by emphasizing "the centrality of the Palestinian cause to our countries as one of the main factors of stability in the region." Concerning Jerusalem, the statement allocated 64 words, or 6% of the total words of the final statement, consisting of 1032 words. Jerusalemites hope to implement what was stated in the "Jeddah Declaration" and what was agreed upon by the Arab foreign ministers in terms of serious support for Jerusalem and its Arab identity. The Minister of Jerusalem, Fadi Al-Hadmi, had presented a full study of the status of East Jerusalem and the needs of all the different sectors to support the steadfastness of Jerusalem and the Jerusalemites.


It is clear that the decision-makers in Saudi Arabia took the idea of chairing the Arab League very seriously. It is expected that we will hear a lot from Riyadh about the great challenges that Saudi Arabia has taken upon itself. We eagerly await all that has been mentioned, which is the sincere implementation of these commitments, not only from Saudi Arabia, but also from all the Arab countries that signed the Jeddah Declaration. Perhaps we will have begun the journey of a thousand miles of Arab renaissance with steady steps.

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Jerusalem in the Jeddah Declaration... the real application?

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