PNN – Criticizing the failure to form any Arab-Islamic coalition against Israel, Arabi21 declared the Mecca agreement effectively meaningless.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; amidst ongoing analysis regarding the so-called Mecca agreement—a trilateral pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan—the Qatari website Arabi21 published an article titled “The Mecca Alliance: Between Emotion and Reason.” The article stated that the joint defense alliance announced last Friday in Mecca among Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan was not the first alliance of its kind in the region over the past eight decades; nor, given the accumulation of regional events and their dramatic, unprecedented expansion, will it certainly be the last.
A History of Fruitless Arab and Islamic Coalitions
This development will likely accelerate the formation of new alliances while precipitating the collapse of others, as tests of good faith—across various levels and fronts—come to shape the course of events.
Since the founding of the Arab League in 1945, in the wake of World War II, the region has witnessed numerous alliances, most of which were arguably formed in haste. The most significant among them was the 1955 Baghdad Pact, which included Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom.
Other alliances were also formed during that period, including the United Arab Republic, which comprised Egypt and Syria in 1958; the Federation of Arab Republics (Egypt, Syria, and Libya) in 1971; the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain) in 1981; the Arab Cooperation Council (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Yemen) in 1989; the Arab Maghreb Union (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania) in 1989; the Saudi-led Arab coalition against Yemen in 2015; and the Mecca coalition last week.
The Ambiguous Nature of the Mecca Agreement
Among the aforementioned alliances, the Mecca alliance is perhaps the most controversial—possibly due to a loss of faith in such processes, questions surrounding the individual members involved, or the current timing and various factors that cast doubt on its objectives.
This alliance includes two countries from outside the Persian Gulf—and indeed, the Arab world at large—fueling a debate that remains unresolved despite the plethora of analyses that emerged immediately upon the announcement.
It is no secret that Pakistan, under its strict military rule, follows the directives of the US intelligence apparatus regarding its foreign policy in every respect. This is due to several factors, including the need for US support in its bloody conflict with neighboring India over the disputed region of Kashmir, as well as other issues.
This situation seriously calls into question Pakistan’s freedom to make decisions regarding any military alliance. Furthermore, there are currently several joint defense alliances between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, established through agreements dating back to 1967, 1982, and 2005.
However, during the Yemen war in 2015, Riyadh was unable to invoke any of these agreements after Islamabad argued that they stipulated the defense of Saudi Arabia rather than aggression against others. This effectively dissolved the alliance and—given Saudi Arabia’s significant influence over Pakistan’s internal affairs—led to the downfall of Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister at the time.
Furthermore, it is no secret that Turkey—a member of the Western NATO alliance—cannot unilaterally risk a war with Yemen or any other party, given the expansion of its commercial, economic, cultural, and military interests in recent years, particularly in Asia and Africa.
Consequently, Turkey recognizes that any military adventure would be an act of folly that jeopardizes all these interests—especially as tensions between Turkey and Israel escalate across various fronts, notably in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, the situation in the Black Sea—on the Russian-Ukrainian front—is deteriorating rapidly; Turkey finds itself drawn into the conflict against its own wishes, particularly after merchant vessels and its vital interests were deliberately targeted.
Why is the Mecca Coalition failing to yield results?
Against this backdrop, it is evident that the Mecca Coalition—whose precise composition and intended adversary remain unclear—is struggling to navigate potential crises that could erupt at any moment. It remains uncertain how the coalition would respond to scenarios such as a possible Israeli attack on Turkey, repeated Indian strikes on Pakistan, or an Iranian retaliation against US military bases in Saudi Arabia.
It is also evident that the depletion of Saudi Arabia’s economic and military resources—particularly through the Yemen front—is extremely costly, especially given that its oil infrastructure and military capabilities are exposed to an adversary that has nothing left to lose after nearly a decade of economic and trade sanctions. This renders any direct, protracted confrontation between Saudi Arabia and its neighbors a highly dangerous and ill-advised course of action.
This ambiguity leaves observers baffled and deeply puzzled, shedding light on the reasons why other regional powers—such as Egypt, Qatar, and Algeria—have been sidelined, particularly given the alliance’s stated openness to the accession of other nations.
Curiously, there are those—especially within Arab and Islamic nationalist movements—who pin great emotional hope on this alliance and others like it, viewing it merely as a starting point for the formation of a regional power encompassing political, economic, and military dimensions.
It would be best for Arabs and Muslims to form a coalition against Israel.
However, a little logical reflection makes it abundantly clear that none of these alliances have—either directly or indirectly—identified the Zionist entity as a target, or even as an adversary.
In fact, they have demonstrated an inability to do so, even as the regime openly declares its regional ambitions and persists in committing war crimes against Arab nations.
This confronts us with unreliable alliances that—as is evident—primarily target Arab citizens, whether at home or abroad, and render failure an inevitable fate.