Middle East undergoing geopolitical reshaping with Turkey, Israel playing significant roles: Egypt former FM

Ahram Online , Tuesday 21 Jan 2025

Nabil Fahmy, the former minister of foreign affairs, said in an interview with ON TV on Tuesday that the Middle East is currently undergoing geopolitical reshaping, with Turkey and Israel playing significant roles in this transformation.

Fahmy

 

Moreover, Fahmy noted that Egypt and Saudi Arabia are the best-positioned countries in the region to confront the idea of reshaping it.

He said the discussion now will focus on the Middle East as a collection of individual countries rather than a unified Arab entity.

Fahmy also anticipates that US President Donald Trump will attempt to reintroduce the so-called “deal of the century” or the Abraham Accords to address the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

He emphasized that engagement with Trump's administration must be through “a clear and just” approach and that new solutions and ideas for the Palestinian cause must be presented.

Furthermore, Fahmy said the Trump administration is likely to revive the concept of the forced displacement of Palestinians, including recent floating proposals for their relocation to Indonesia.

"President Trump bases his approach to issues on two criteria: cost and benefit. These principles guide his decisions,” he explained, adding that forced displacement will follow the same rationale. 

This idea will not necessarily be “presented directly to Egypt or imposed upon us … but it remains part of Trump's mindset."

Fahmy stressed the importance of  “a clear Egyptian stance” from the outset.

"Trump’s focus in any issue will be on the active party — whether it contributes positively or obstructs progress. Any party that does not add value will not matter in his calculations," he continued.

He also pointed out the importance of maintaining an active Egyptian role in the Arab-Israeli conflict, highlighting Cairo's engagement in the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

“This role sends a positive signal at the regional level and must continue in the coming period,” he asserted.

Arab identity
 

He stated that the Arab political identity faces major challenges, referring to the rapidly changing political landscape, especially in recent decades.

"There is no longer such a thing as 'the Arab region' politically, and ongoing efforts are underway to erode the Arab political identity by dividing Arab countries … and emphasizing sectarian divisions within each country over the concept of the nation-state,” he explained.

"Turkey and Israel are spearheading this regional reshaping. The aim is to deal with Arab countries through a sectarian lens, rather than a national or pan-Arab one," he added.

This was evident after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq when there was internal debate about whether the country should continue to be identified as Arab, he noted.

The outcome of this debate was positioning Iraq within the Arab world while de-emphasizing the Arab identity, he stated.

Arab East fragmentation
 

Fahmy also highlighted the increasing fragmentation in the Arab East, noting that the effective power in Syria now is dispersed between Turkey and the movements it supports.

He expressed hope for a Syrian-led consensus to reunify the country, warning that "if this does not occur, Syria may face sectarian division."

"Syria is a multi-sectarian nation, with each sect's influence extending to different external actors. Some align with Iran, others with Turkey, and others perhaps with Israel," he clarified.

When asked about his view on the new Syrian administration, Fahmy acknowledged many questions surrounding its political orientation, which appears to lean towards “a very pronounced political ideology.”

However, he stressed the importance of distinguishing words from actions when evaluating any government.

Fahmy indicated that Syria's current administration appears to be transitional. An interim government will be formed within weeks, followed by a national dialogue.

“If we observe that the interim government includes diverse political currents, this will be a positive indicator of inclusivity,” he pointed out.

Conversely, if the same ruling group remains unchanged, the new administration's statements will have little real-world impact.

"We do not interfere in any nation's choice of its internal system of governance," he added.

“If this administration seeks to cooperate with us, its political equations must remain within Syria's borders without having a negative impact beyond them," he affirmed.

 

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