Arab Leaders and the Rise of Israel: A Cycle of Political Shift

The establishment of modern Arab leaders and the subsequent rise of Israel are deeply intertwined, forming a cycle of political shift that reshaped the Middle East. The Western-backed collapse of the Ottoman Empire created the modern Arab states, but the unexpected birth of Israel fundamentally transformed how Arab leaders governed, sustained power, and formed alliances .

1. The Establishment of Modern Arab Leaders

Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the map of the modern Arab world was drawn under Western "mandates" (primarily British and French). Modern Arab leadership emerged through three distinct waves .

The Hashemite Monarchies

As a reward for the 1916 Arab Revolt, the British installed the sons of Sharif Hussein as kings. Prince Abdullah became the ruler of Jordan, and Prince Faysal was made the King of Iraq .

The Gulf Monarchies

Traditional tribal leaders in places like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE consolidated power through security and oil alliances with Great Britain and the United States .

The Rise of Military Republics

In the 1950s and 1960s, a wave of nationalist military coups overthrew the Western-backed monarchies in countries like Egypt (Gamal Abdel Nasser), Syria, and Iraq. These leaders championed Pan-Arab nationalism .

2. The Influence of Israel on Arab Leadership

The declaration of the State of Israel in 1948 acted as a massive geopolitical shockwave that directly influenced the destiny of Arab leaders .

A. A Tool for Regime Legitimacy

For decades, opposing Israel was the primary source of political legitimacy for Arab dictators and monarchs. Leaders like Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser or Syria's Hafez al-Assad used the Palestinian cause to unite their populations, justify authoritarian rule, crack down on internal political dissent, and divert attention away from domestic economic failures .

B. Trigger for Coups and Instability

The catastrophic defeat of Arab armies in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War discredited the old ruling elite. The Arab public blamed their Western-installed kings for losing Palestine. This widespread anger directly triggered the military coups that destabilized governments in Egypt (1952), Syria (1949 onwards), and Iraq (1958) .

C. Cold War Realignment

Israel's existence forced Arab leaders to choose global sides during the Cold War. While Israel forged a tight alliance with the United States, radical Arab leadership republics (Egypt, Syria, Iraq) turned heavily to the Soviet Union for advanced military hardware and financial backing to balance Israeli power .

3. The Modern Shift: From Enemies to Strategic Partners

The dynamic between Arab states and Israel underwent a massive transformation, splitting Arab leadership into two distinct approaches .

The Pragmatic Peace (Egypt and Jordan)

Egypt signed a historic peace treaty with Israel in 1979, followed by Jordan in 1994. For these leaders, peace ensured billions in U.S. military aid and guaranteed regional stability .

The Abraham Accords (2020)

Modern Gulf leaders (the UAE and Bahrain) bypassed the traditional rule of "no peace without a Palestinian state" to sign normalization agreements with Israel .

The Shared Threat of Iran

Today, the survival strategy of many Arab leaders has fundamentally shifted. Rather than viewing Israel as their primary threat, wealthy Arab monarchies view Iran as their main existential danger. This shared security threat has created an unprecedented, quiet military cooperation between Israel and several Arab states .

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