“The central debate in the Gulf states regarding the war revolves around those who see it as an American-Israeli attempt to push Arab countries to the margins in favor of Israeli hegemony, versus those who view the weakening of Iran as a vital national interest,” says Dr. Michael Bark, reviewing the Arab and Turkish media, in an interview with Davar.
The Arab states have found themselves under attack despite their repeated efforts to maintain a neutral stance in the escalating conflict between Israel and the United States on one side, and Iran on the other, which has intensified over the past year. Most of the munitions fired from Iran in the past ten days have targeted civilian sites in the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait are also under daily attack. The state of war has sparked broad debate in the Arab media, revealing deep divisions regarding the Arab world, Israel, and the United States.
Dr. Michael Bark, senior researcher at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, faculty member at Reichman University, and Egypt researcher at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, presents the picture in which some voices emphasize that Iran is the one that started the war, and that any weakening of Iran by Israel and the Americans will improve the position of the Arab states.
For example, Saudi journalist Abd al-Rahman al-Rashed and former senior Dubai police officer Dahi Khalfan argue that Israel has succeeded in enlisting the Americans to “put the genie back in the bottle”, meaning to prevent Iran from gaining the strength that led to direct attacks on eight Arab states over the past decade.
But alongside these claims, there are also voices that see Israel as a threat. “In the Gulf states, there is a fear that the Americans want to turn Israel into a hegemonic power in the Middle East,” Bark says. “They worry that Iran’s defeat will only further advance the U.S. tendency to favor Israel over the Arabs. One of the most prominent voices of this view is the Egyptian Amr Moussa. In a post he published online that garnered millions of views, he warned that Washington is using Israel as the tip of the spear to reshape the Middle East, pushing Arab states to the margins in favor of Israeli hegemony.”
When asked if this is a common view, Dr. Barak says “It seems to be an approach that resonates widely, especially in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar. Another perspective is that both Israel and Iran are enemies of the Arab states, and the Arab challenge is not to take sides in the great power conflict, but to prevent both from trampling on Arab sovereignty.”
“In Egypt, there is a strong echo of claims about Israel’s ambition to expand its borders—‘Greater Israel’” says Dr. Barak. “The concern is that the war with Iran is a step in that direction. This discourse comes from various groups in Egypt and is fundamentally hostile toward Israel and fearful of it.”
In Lebanon there has been a debate between Hezbollah and the other communities that live in the area. Dr. Barak says that there is debate also within the Shiite community itself. “Even within the Barkat clan, known for its connections to Hezbollah and Iran, critical voices are heard against Hezbollah’s decision to launch this campaign. For example, Mohammed Barkat accused Hezbollah of choosing its Iranian identity over its Lebanese identity and dragging the entire country into an unnecessary, suicidal adventure. In a post he published on social media Barkat clarified that Hezbollah has lost legitimacy not only with the Arab world but also with the Lebanese majority and even among its Shiite supporters, and he called on the Lebanese government to dismantle once and for all the alliance between Hezbollah and the Shiite Amal movement.”
However, he says that there are also hawkish voices that pushed Hezbollah into this war as well. “In the newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is aligned with Hezbollah, they call this campaign ‘Hezbollah’s existential war’, emphasizing its existential nature of ‘do or die’, in contrast to those who claim Hezbollah brought all this upon itself.”
“Elsewhere, it is referred to as ‘Lebanon’s Ramadan War’, echoing the term used in Iran, ‘Ramadan War’. Another argument that appears in opinion columns supporting Hezbollah’s fighting is the fear of Ahmad al-Sharaa’s regime in Syria, which cooperates with the Americans. Among hawkish Shiite circles, there is concern that al-Sharaa might invade Lebanon and bring disaster upon Hezbollah in coordination with the U.S. administration.”
Dr. Barak explains the rationale of Hezbollah supporters: “They say that Trump will not last long in this war. He is under domestic pressure from anti-war forces, under economic pressure from rising oil prices, and under diplomatic pressure from Arab countries. Therefore, there is no chance he will hold out more than a month, and Hezbollah must not lose its offensive capabilities during that month. Hezbollah must maintain its offensive abilities, together with Iran, against Israel, and must not yield, otherwise Israel will be the one setting the agenda in the region.”
“Hezbollah frames this war as a religious-existential war. In Iran, it is seen as a religious war and a clash of civilizations. Even the Muslim Brotherhood, who are Sunni rather than Shia like Hezbollah and Iran, align with this view and fear that a loss would mean a loss for Islam in all its currents. This is a situation where even the Muslim Brotherhood supports Iran. Qatar threatened to expel Hamas leadership from its territory for refusing to condemn the Iranian attack, this is a clear example of this dynamic. Of course, even if they are expelled, they are likely to return after the war.”
When asked how the Muslim Brotherhood view the war, Dr. Barak says: “It’s very simple for them. They say this is a war for the soul of Islam. If Iran falls, all of Islam will fall. It’s important to remember that this connection between Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, including organizations like Hamas and al-Qaeda, is not new. They have found in each other partners in the struggle against the United States and Israel for many years, so this alignment is not surprising.”
