Opinion | Israel-Gaza war risks Middle East peace gains and tests US, China diplomacy

As the Muslim world takes up the Palestinian cause, Israel’s ally the US is seen as biased, which may undermine its efforts to broker peace and create space for other mediators

China, meanwhile, has avoided apportioning blame and reiterated support for a two-state solution. But this is fraught with its own difficulties

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Published: 8:30pm, 14 Nov 2023Updated: 11:24pm, 14 Nov 2023

Renewed fighting in Gaza may undermine the hard-earned gains in fostering peace in the Middle East. It may also hamper the region’s desire to transition from being a security minefield to a contributor in addressing global issues like climate change. The conflict will also stretch the diplomatic capacity of great powers, notably the United States and China.

Before the October 7 attack by Hamas, peace was gaining momentum. The US had promoted normalisation between Israel and several Arab countries and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco established official ties with Israel.

Iraq, Oman and China played crucial roles in the Saudi Arabia-Iran rapprochement, with a domino effect on proxy wars throughout the region, from Lebanon and Palestine to Syria and Yemen. In September, Saudi Arabia invited Yemen’s Houthi negotiators to Riyadh to discuss a ceasefire with the help of Omani mediators. Russia is mediating between Turkey and Syria.

There was a sense of optimism that a new dawn was rising. Islamic State was defeated. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League. The international community, including Damascus’ Arab neighbours, and Iran, Russia and China, pledged support for the country’s post-civil-war reconstruction.

Countries in the region were setting aside squabbles and weaning themselves off a long-standing fixation with security issues. Wealthy Gulf states have been translating their financial heft into diplomatic muscle on global concerns.

Riyadh hosted the G20 Summit in 2020 and rolled out the “Middle East Green Initiative” the year after – announcing a desire to be a force in regional and global forums on climate change and sustainability. Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE became members of the China-led Brics club of emerging economies, expanding it from the bloc featuring Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.