ARAB LEAGUE
Arab League Delegates,
Reinforcing the unity of Arab countries has never been so critical. The dissonance of realities plaguing our soil makes starting this letter quite simple. Our dear Palestine, you never fail to amaze me. Your perseverance and resilience are exemplary. It’s our eyes that witness atrocities we see on our screens, it’s our voices we use to be loud about the gruesome crimes, and our choices that put us on the right side of injustice. It is our responsibility.
My name is Leen Abu Gharbieh, a junior at National Orthodox School and, it brings me great pleasure to be this year’s President of the Arab League.
Contorting frameworks and unexpected additions are my favorite MUN hobbies therefore, delegates, bring your A-game, because this committee is far from ordinary. Expect to engage in heated discussions and fervent debates; while research and preparation are ever required, keeping your creativity just as close may be the difference between winning your case and chaos. I do not doubt that you will exceed all expectations and our debates won’t fall short of exceptional.
Now without further ado, I am beyond excited to meet you and I urge you, delegates, to give it your all.
Yours truly,
Leen Abu Gharbieh
Topic 1: Upholding the Arab League’s duty in resolving regional conflicts - the war on Palestine
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been ongoing for 76 years. Many are reluctant to call this conflict a war, due to the disproportionate responses of the IDF over the years. Recently this conflict has been placed on the global stage, as a result of Hamas’s surprise retaliation against the Israeli occupation. The Arab countries have been hesitant to establish a clear stance and policy, especially as many hold peace agreements with Israel. Now it is more important than ever to respond but the question remains how?
It all started when the Balfour Declaration enabled the entry of millions of Jews from all over the world. Soon after, in 1948 zionist private militaries displaced over 750,000 Palestinians from their homes, known as the Nakba. This same year Israel declared itself an independent state. Israel continued to expand its settlements, building homes for their citizens while pushing Palestinians into neighboring Arab countries. Those who remained in Palestine faced extreme human rights violations. These only exasperated as Palestinian government factions frequently came into armed confrontation with the IDF.
Israel's response to the Hamas attacks on October 7th has fueled worldwide controversy and criticism against Arab countries due to the lack of efforts to secure peace. Protests have spread across Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and more. Gaza according to the UN Humanitarian Chief is “Uninhabitable.” There is a shortage of food, fuel, and electricity putting everyone’s lives in Gaza at risk. It is becoming increasingly difficult for humanitarian aid to penetrate a once-known city that is now a pile of rubble.
Many attempts at peace have failed including the Two-State Solution introduced by the UN, The Oslo Accords, and The Arab League's attempt to mediate peace talks. The only solutions have been ceasefires, which only put mass violence on pause. The deep-rooted contradictions between these two peoples have prevented any steps toward peace.
As members of the Arab League, it is up to you to defend the loss of innocent life. You must remember your role as an Arab state in the Middle East, and this conflict is fueling instability in your region. With a war happening near your borders, and refugees waiting at the borders action must be taken immediately.
Topic 2: The question of creating a joint military force amongst Arab League members in an effort to counter terrorism
In 2015, the current president of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced the Arab League’s unanimous decision to create a joint military force, with the purpose of neutralizing the proxy conflict in Yemen and suppressing the growing threat of Jihadists in Iraq, Syria, and Libya. However, this previous attempt was evidently temporary and ineffective, as no mention of a joint military force has been brought up ever since. Yet, the Arab world remains ravaged by conflict.
It is possible this previous attempt at a joint military proposed 8 years ago never materialized due to different national interests, political ideologies, and historical tensions among Arab League members, which have all prevented this proposition from becoming a reality. Especially since this would require major structural reforms in the military economy of all member states which in itself may take several years.
On the other hand, the practicality of such a military force cannot be understated. Firstly, cooperation between Arab nations could extend beyond just the military in the long run; members should become more codependent overall, leading to increased communication thereon. Above that, the combined military power of all 22 members surpasses the power of most, if not all, foreign powers around the world in terms of the raw number of troops, vehicles, and budget. This increased power and cooperation would not only reduce conflict within the Arab world, and increase the influence of the region, but it would also aid in the suppression of terrorist groups such as ISIS, or Al Qaeda, in addition to protecting members from hostile foreign powers.
This raises the question of whether this “Unified Arab League Military” should be reconsidered and permanently implemented as it was originally envisioned 8 years ago, or whether the idea should be neglected entirely, or morphed into something else completely. Either way, the apparent benefits must be considered alongside the potential challenges that may arise, and the Arab League must consider how this unification should be implemented, if at all.
Study Guides
Delegate’s Guide
Arab League Guide