Deal of the Century: An Analytical Study of Arab Attitudes

Summary

Since September 2017, the international community has been waiting for Trump’s disclosure of the so-called “deal of the century”, although the proposals and contents that have been published and leaked so far can be described as loose and not realistic; and cannot be applied on the ground – as the study suggests – due to two factors:

First: the initial leaks on the current version of the deal, which is almost certainly not yet mature, are still in the stage of discussions in order to produce a final formula acceptable to the parties concerned.

Second: This factor is related to the timing of the deal: The US administration still suffers from internal problems. In addition, it is preoccupied with important external files such as the dispute with Iran. Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife are facing corruption charges. Finally, the Gaza Strip, which has suffered for 11 years from siege, remains strong, as confirmed by the return marches. However, this does not mean that the ‘deal of the century’ has disappeared or failed; but the United States and some regional countries seem to be preparing the regional atmosphere for accepting a new or partial vision aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause, the study concludes.

The study reviews the stances of major Arab countries towards the ‘deal of the century’, including Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait.