On November 27, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion dedicated to the Asian perspective on the Middle East crisis.
The current conflict in the Gaza Strip has been the focus of attention of the Valdai Club experts since the very beginning. In the first days after the escalation began, there was a discussion about the causes and consequences of the hostilities. A month and a half later, Israel and Hamas finally agreed on a truce and the exchange of some hostages from the Gaza Strip for Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli prisons. However, the conflict is unlikely to end, especially in light of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s promises to wage war until Hamas is completely destroyed and all the hostages are returned.
The sharp escalation of the Arab-Israeli conflict has become the main event of late 2023, pushing the conflicts in the South Caucasus and Europe into the background. Its political significance extends far beyond the Middle East region. International relations, including in Asia, will now depend on how the Middle East crisis develops further.
More than half of the total Muslim population lives in the Asia-Pacific region. How will the Arab-Israeli conflict affect the politics of the Asia-Pacific countries? The Asian perspective on the Middle East crisis was evident in the recent vote at the UN General Assembly for a resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian settlement and in statements by senior politicians. For example, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim declared solidarity with the Palestinian people and expressed his readiness to send troops in support of Palestine.
How does the prospect of an aggravation of the Arab-Israeli conflict threaten international security? How do states in South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region perceive the Middle East crisis? Which Asian countries could be involved in the conflict? What might be their role in the settlement? Participants in the discussion tried to answer these and other questions.