The Middle East’s ‘peace architecture’ may be giving rise to an anti-Israel bloc - opinion

An opinion piece by Duvy Honig argues that a growing network of countries, including Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE, is forming a coordinated diplomatic bloc that pressures Israel to withdraw from Gaza while Hamas remains armed. The author warns that this 'peace architecture' risks creating a system where Israel's enemies keep their weapons and Israel's friends gain power to dictate its security decisions.

An opinion piece by Duvy Honig argues that a growing network of countries, including Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia, is forming a coordinated diplomatic bloc that pressures Israel to withdraw from Gaza while Hamas remains armed. The author warns that bilateral peace agreements, particularly with Egypt, are being absorbed into a wider regional mechanism where Turkey and Qatar help shape collective positions. The article points to a joint statement from these countries pressing Israel to move ahead with the latest Gaza framework and calling for continued American involvement to ensure Israeli compliance. Honig argues that the basic imbalance is that Israel, with its banks, companies, diplomats, and international relationships, is easy to pressure, while Hamas and Hezbollah are not. The piece warns that international verification mechanisms for Hezbollah disarmament in Lebanon could involve countries like Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and Indonesia, which have shown willingness to pressure Israel. The author concludes that the US should be building a regional architecture that restrains Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, not one that is better at restraining Israel.