Egypt’s plan to form a NATO-style Arab defense force was rejected by Qatar and the UAE, Middle East Eye (MEE) reported on 20 September.
“Egypt proposed a defensive regional force under the 1950 Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation Treaty, aiming to establish a rapid-response alliance to shield member states from external threats, particularly Israel,” a senior Egyptian diplomat said. “But Qatar and the UAE mainly blocked the plan.”
Egypt proposed the plan at this week’s Doha summit, which brought together leaders from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The summit was held one week after Israel launched an attack in the Qatari capital that targeted Hamas leaders who were meeting to discuss US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire proposal.
Six people were killed in the strike, including the son of Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya.
At the summit, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty “presented the proposal to his Gulf counterparts as a defensive step to protect the region without relying on foreign powers,” the diplomat added.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi felt “deeply frustrated” after his proposal was rejected, the diplomat said.
During the conference, Sisi referred to Israel as the “enemy” for the first time in his presidency, saying its actions threaten Egypt’s security and future peace deals, including by expelling Palestinians from Gaza.
US influence appeared to influence the Qatari and UAE stance, while limiting Arab action to statements of support for Gaza and condemnation of Israel.
“A Qatari delegation returned from Washington with messages to Arab states, stressing that no resolutions should be taken against Israel,” another senior Egyptian diplomat told MEE.
“The Americans promised that President Donald Trump would manage the crisis and restrain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from launching similar attacks on another Gulf country,” he added. “The Emiratis strongly supported this stance.”
Other Arab states “found themselves cornered when Qatar’s stance, backed by the UAE, dominated the meeting,” the diplomat stated.
“They decided that any step against Israel would now be futile, and that the best option was to push the US to pressure Israel into a ceasefire in Gaza,” he said.
In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab state to reach a peace deal with Israel and normalize ties. However, Egyptian public opinion has remained hostile to Israel.
The UAE and Bahrain normalized ties with Israel in 2020 by signing the Abraham Accords.
Qatar does not have official relations with Israel but collaborates closely with Israeli intelligence to manage the Hamas file.
One US official reportedly stated that Qatar has become “Israel’s greatest friend in the Gulf.”
The small Gulf nation also hosts the Al-Udeid Air Base, the largest US military base in West Asia and the primary hub for US air operations in the region.