uAn international coalition lined up behind Israel, this is what the international community has strangely looked like since April 14, from historical enemies to traditional allies. After the massacres of October 7, 2023, after the shelling of the Gazan enclave, after the deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, the world expresses its concerns, and in unison urges Israel to exercise restraint.
The attack of Iranian drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles towards Israeli territory on the night of April 13-14 provoked a host of reactions. The traditional Western allies condemned the strikes, unsurprisingly and firmly. To everyone’s surprise, a second category of countries preferred the camp of concern to that of Tehran: the traditional allies of the Palestinian people. Yet the war in Gaza has often led them to turn away from Israel.
On the one hand, the precursors, in the Middle East, of the normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel. Egypt calls for maximum restraint, but remains the eternal intermediary in the talks. Historically, Jordan sent its planes to defend Israel and intercepted numerous Iranian drones and missiles during the night. Also surprising, the reactions of the Gulf monarchies reflect an undeniable alignment against the Iranian attack. Qatar expresses its concern and calls on the parties to defuse tensions. Saudi Arabia also calls for restraint. The United Arab Emirates has done more by making its airspace and information available.
New discussion space
The case of the Saudi kingdom is the most surprising. Remember that it normalized its diplomatic relations with Iran in March 2023, under the aegis of China, putting an end to a historic rivalry. Let us also remember that the war with Hamas suspended the kingdom’s talks with the Jewish state. Finally, let us recall that, since the Abraham Accords, Israel has been pining to establish official ties with Saudi Arabia, the last bastion, perhaps, for the peace of the Jewish state before the war.
When neither Saudi Arabia, nor Qatar, nor any of the historic enemies of the Jewish state welcome the Iranian response to the dangerous and escalatory Israeli strike, a new space for discussion and cooperation emerges.
These condemnations do not reflect friendship, but concern. It is now up to Israel to mobilize this alignment, unexpected after months of war, to maintain this relative synergy, this latent coalition for peace, which it was unable to maintain after October 7. Israel must exercise restraint in perpetuating this arena. Because it could indeed be an arena for discussion, for exchange. One that could give rise to the signing of peace agreements and the recognition of Israel by Arab and Muslim countries.
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