Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt is spearheading a renewed effort to establish a joint Arab military force, echoing a long-standing yet repeatedly stalled vision of collective Arab defense. The initiative, modeled loosely on NATO’s integrated military structure, is being revived in the wake of escalating tensions in the region, particularly following a Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar earlier this month.
According to regional diplomatic sources, Cairo is actively lobbying key Arab capitals in support of the force, framing it as a strategic necessity to deter foreign aggression. While earlier versions of the plan were largely focused on countering Iran’s influence in the region, the latest iteration explicitly includes deterrence against Israel, reflecting a sharp turn in Arab security priorities following the strike in Doha.
A Long-Ignored Idea Finds New Urgency
The concept of an Arab military alliance has circulated for over a decade without ever materializing into a unified command. In 2015, the Arab League officially endorsed the creation of such a force, but political divisions, competing priorities, and questions about structure and leadership prevented meaningful progress.
This time, however, Egypt appears determined to move beyond rhetoric. Egyptian officials are reportedly proposing to contribute approximately 20,000 troops to the force, alongside logistical and command infrastructure. Preliminary talks have already begun with key regional players, including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Algeria, to assess willingness to participate and share leadership responsibilities.
Sources suggest that Cairo is proposing an Egyptian four-star general to command the force, with a top deputy position potentially allocated to a Gulf state likely Saudi Arabia, to reflect regional power balances.
The Diplomatic Backdrop: A Summit in Doha
The renewed diplomatic push is unfolding against the backdrop of the Arab-Islamic Summit scheduled for September 15–16 in Doha. The summit is expected to be dominated by the fallout from Israel’s mid-September strike in Qatar, which marked a rare extension of Israeli military activity into a Gulf state traditionally viewed as a neutral broker.
In direct response to the incident, Egypt has already downgraded diplomatic relations with Israel to the minimum required to coordinate humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Cairo’s latest move is seen as part of a broader effort to realign regional security architecture more closely with Arab interests and less dependent on U.S.-led or Western frameworks.
Challenges on the Road to Unity
Despite the bold ambitions, the formation of a joint Arab military force faces significant obstacles. The Arab world remains deeply fragmented on both political and strategic fronts, with differing threat perceptions, military capabilities, and foreign policy alignments.
Previous attempts have floundered amid disagreements over key questions such as command authority, rules of engagement, and the actual mandate of such a force. Some member states have also been wary of Egypt’s dominant role, fearing it could use the alliance to project its own regional ambitions.
Moreover, shifting regional alliances complicate the picture. A decade ago, many Arab states were warming to closer albeit quiet security coordination with Israel against a shared Iranian adversary. The recent strike in Qatar, however, appears to have disrupted that fragile alignment, reviving old hostilities and injecting a new layer of distrust into regional politics.
A Turning Point?
Whether this renewed push will succeed where others failed remains uncertain. But the current moment defined by a rapidly evolving security environment and rising public anger over perceived violations of Arab sovereignty, may provide the urgency needed to at least begin the process.
With regional tensions at a boiling point and the balance of power in the Middle East increasingly in flux, Egypt’s call for a collective Arab military response may gain more traction than ever before. Much will depend on the outcome of this week’s summit in Doha, where Arab leaders will face mounting pressure to move beyond statements of condemnation and toward coordinated action.
As the Middle East enters what could be a new phase of confrontation and realignment, the question remains: can the Arab world finally unite on a common military front, or will history once again repeat itself?
