Egypt To Host Arab Summit about Gaza on February 27th

What Happened?

Egypt announced this week it will host an emergency Arab summit to discuss the future of Gaza and the Palestinians who live there. 

The Foreign Minister of Egypt said the meeting would take place in Cairo. It would be focused on “the state of Palestine that sked to hold the summit in order to discuss new and dangerous developments for the Palestinian cause.” 

No Egyptian officials specifically mentioned the recent comments by President Trump for the United States to own Gaza. But those comments and the potential for both the U.S. and Israel to act on them seem likely drivers of the forthcoming Arab summit.

Why it Matters

Egypt is the largest and most populous Arab nation in the Middle East. As such it’s also the most important country in the region. The Egyptian call for an Arab summit will likely be heeded by most of the other Arab nations in the Levant. 

President Trump’s comments may be simply another negotiating tactic, but of Gaza he recently said “There is nothing to move back to. I’m committed to buying and owning Gaza. As far as rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it.”

While the cease fire between HAMAS and Israel is still holding, reactions to President Trump’s comments from Gaza were swift. Condemnation of the comments came immediately.

Judging from reactions on some Arab language sites, if the United States attempted to take over Gaza it could trigger a new wave of terrorism across the Middle East. 

Egypt didn’t specify what the agenda might be for the proposed Arab summit. It wouldn’t be the first time Arab nations in the Levant tried to find a solution for the Palestinians. Egypt is reluctant to accept more refugees from Gaza for a simple reason. 

For Palestinians who are part of HAMAS or who are sympathetic to the teachings of HAMAS, Egypt is legitimately concerned those teaching could become more popular in Egyptian cities and towns. Egypt already has its own problems with religious extremists. Bringing in more would pose a real threat to the stability and security of the country.

One possible objective of the Arab summit will be to unify the Arab world against the proposal made by President Trump concerning Gaza. To head that off the Trump administration is already conducting diplomacy with individual Arab leaders this week. 

Arab countries hosting U.S. military bases in the Middle East can use that as their own bargaining leverage.

How it Affects You

While the Trump administration can withhold or threaten to withhold aid from Egypt, they have few ways to physically force the Egyptian government to take on more Palestinians. 

Wholesale resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza remains unlikely anytime soon barring a major breakthrough agreement with surrounding Arab nations.