Scholar: Without Strong Response, Arabs Risk Falling Under Israeli Control

Thursday, 10 April 2025 10:48 AM

Press TV

Azmi Bishara, director of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies

In the absence of a strong Arab response, the Levant region could fall completely under the dominance of the Israeli regime, an Arab scholar and head of a research institute warns.

This would alter the region's political landscape for generations to come, Azmi Bishara, director of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS), warned in an interview with Al Araby Television Network.

Levant refers to vast swathes of West Asia that includes Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, where the regime has been leading either a drawn-out genocidal war or escalated deadly aggression.

The head of Qatar-based research institute cited Israel's actions in Syria and Lebanon as evidence of its expanding influence, suggesting that the United States and Israel might divide Syria and provoke civil unrest in neighboring Lebanon.

Bishara, who is an Arab-Israeli public intellectual, political philosopher and author, warned that in the case of the absence of decisive and firm Arab responses, Israel will become “the master of the region,” dictating terms to Arab countries - just as Tel Aviv is trying to do in Syria and Lebanon.

“And that’s not even to mention the Palestinians,” he added, stressing that the Tel Aviv regime does not recognize the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority or the existence of Palestinian territories.

Bishara emphasized that Arab nations enjoy a vested interest in establishing a joint security framework with Turkey and Iran to counter these developments.

“We have an Arab interest in avoiding war and in establishing a joint security system with Turkey and Iran that contains Israel and puts an end to the constant American blackmail under the guise of protection,” he said.

Bishara stressed the urgency of a coordinated Arab response to prevent further Israeli expansion and interference in the region and the importance of solidarity among Arab nations, Turkey, and Iran to safeguard regional sovereignty and ensure that the rights of Palestinians and other marginalized groups are protected.

The Iranian foreign minister calls for collective measures by the regional countries to immediately end the Israeli regime’s crimes in the Gaza Strip.

Regarding the situation in the war-torn Gaza Strip, the head of ACRPS dismissed Israeli claims of facilitating the displacement of Palestinians, saying that such plans are unlikely to succeed as long as Egypt opposes them.

However, Bishara warned that if Arab actions remain unchanged, the chances of Israel implementing its plan to occupy Gaza and expel its residents will grow.

He said signs are emerging that US President Donald Trump is growing weary of the ongoing conflict for his own reasons.

Without a strong Arab stance, Israel might exploit the situation to reshape the region according to its interests, potentially sidelining Palestinian rights and aspirations, Bishara warned. 

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu revisits threats of deployment of military force against Iran’s nuclear facilities, a few days before the Islamic Republic and the US are slated to engage in indirect talks.

The Arab scholar, who is the author of “Syria: The Path of Suffering Toward Freedom”, also addressed the internal dynamics within Arab countries, criticizing their rivalry to align closely with the US, arguing that it undermines collective Arab interests and weakens their position in regional conflicts.

He also called for a unified Arab approach that prioritizes the establishment of inclusive, democratic states and resists external pressures that threaten regional stability.