(RAHNUMA): In a recent, ill-conceived proposition, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pitched an initiative known as the “Abraham Alliance.” This proposal, however, is not only a delusion but also a dangerous diversion from the real issues plaguing the Middle East. Netanyahu, an individual under scrutiny by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, seeks to forge an alliance that stands to whitewash Israel’s ongoing violations of international law in the Palestinian territories. This initiative must be categorically rejected by any Arab nation that values justice, human rights, and true peace.
Netanyahu’s proposed ‘Abraham Alliance’, in its current form, is fundamentally flawed and illegitimate. Any Arab state that joins such an alliance without first securing an end to the Israeli government’s war crimes in Gaza and blatant disregard for international norms will inevitably face condemnation. The premature engagement in this alliance would not only undermine the participating Arab governments moral standing but also betray the Palestinian cause, a cornerstone of regional politics and ethics.
Under Netanyahu, Israel’s parliament passed a resolution that overwhelmingly rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state, Israeli media reported. The resolution passed in the Knesset with 68 votes in favor and just nine against it.
So what exactly does Prime Minister Netanyahu offer to the region with such a proposal other than forcing another misguided war upon it?
It is deeply ironic that Prime Minister Netanyahu name such a proposed military alliance, the “Abraham Alliance.” Israel, the country proposing this alliance, only recognizes God’s Covenant with the Jewish people through Isaac and rejects recognition of Ishmael as even a legitimate son and heir of Abraham. In contrast, all Arab Muslim countries and Iran legally acknowledge God’s Covenant with both sons of Abraham: Ishmael and Isaac as per the Holy Quran. This broader recognition includes the lineage of the Children of Ishmael, which both Sunni and Shia Muslims recognize is fulfilled in the Prophet Muhammad and his tribe of Quraysh, with the specifics of whom among the Quraysh it continued through as the only difference between Shia and Sunni Muslims. Furthermore, by proclaiming Islam as its faith, Iran’s constitution even acknowledges Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, Christ, the Word, and Spirit from God sent to the Children of Israel. In the daily prayers of Muslims, blessings are invoked upon Abraham and his progeny at least five times a day.
Arab governments in the region, by virtue of their Muslim faith, embrace the Prophet Muhammad as the fulfillment of God’s Covenant with Abraham and Ishmael, marked by the construction of the Holy Ka’aba. However, they also recognize God’s unique Covenant with Isaac and his descendants through his son Jacob, who was later renamed Israel by God, and also acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. These shared beliefs unite them not only with each other but also with Iran, outside Sunni-Shia polemics. It is also worthy to mention more than half of Iran’s population have Arab DNA according to a study by National Geographic.
The path to genuine peace in the Middle East does not lie in further militarization or in blind support for Israel. Instead, it begins with an unequivocal end to the conflict in Gaza and the immediate recognition of an independent Palestinian state, removal of genocidal elements in Palestine, Iran and also in Israel.
Preventing Palestinian statehood, continuously violating international law, and denying the Palestinian Authority, not the terrorist Hamas, any legitimate means of resistance are actions that run counter to the legacy of Abraham, a figure symbolizing justice and unity. The Abraham Alliance, as proposed, is a perverse distortion of this legacy. It offers no real solution to the longstanding issues at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and instead seeks to normalize occupation and oppression under the guise of opposition to extremists in Iran while denying the genocidal war criminal extremists inside the Netanyahu government even exist.
Arab governments, particularly those allied with the United States, must resist the temptation to prioritize Israel’s security over Palestinian rights. True peace and normalization with Israel should occur, but can only be achieved once Palestinian statehood is realized, and Palestinians are free from occupation, by both Israel and also Hamas. Supporting an unjust status quo will not only erode regional support but also diminish global sympathy for any Arab state that participates in such a farcical alliance.
The international community must also stand firm in rejecting this premature misguided initiative.
