At the Arab League Summit earlier this month in Jeddah, the anticipation for the appearance of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad was tangible. Assad stole the show, which was understandable given Sudan-related worries and the unexpected attendance of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Following horrific turbulence and devastation in his nation, it marked his return to this multilateral Arab gathering after an absence of 11 years.
The Jeddah Summit was a concerted effort to move past the past and toward a new, promising future. The leadership seemed ready to mend the wounds left by a horrific conflict that engulfed Syria and significantly negatively influenced the rest of its neighborhood. There is no denying the credit that any earnest endeavor toward peace should get, even though time will tell whether the Summit was the turning point. So, on that score, the decision-makers are perfect.
Dramatic occurrences throughout human history have frequently stopped years of bloodshed. Few people can predict what triggers reconciliation, whether it is wisdom overdrive, the result of persistent reconciliation efforts, or combat fatigue. Nevertheless, what counts is the result.
The Middle East’s issues will not instantly stop because Syria rejoins the Arab world. Despite the growing number of voices for peace in the region, the Jeddah Summit undoubtedly increased confidence in what could be done to ensure peace and progress.
The situation is placed into perspective by two critical statements. President Assad made the opening statement. He is reported to have remarked, “Syria will remain the beating heart of the Arab world and will not give up its principles despite the intensifying pressure and diversifying plots not only targeting Syria, but all Arabs,” at the Summit.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, opted to be more pragmatic. He reportedly said, “A positive return of Syria rests on a number of factors.” We know what those “factors” might be, and it is up to the parties involved to keep the peace process moving forward.
However, one way to sum up the atmosphere at the Summit would be cautious optimism. A school of thinking that prioritizes justice over reconciliation will always exist. They would contend that allowing Assad to escape punishment for everything that occurred in Syria would be unfair to the millions of people who suffered during the fight. That argument does have some merit.
But doubters must also realize that re-adopting him into the Arab family is, at most, the start of a process to revitalize and rebuild Syria, which is preferable to a permanent state of hostility where neither justice nor reconciliation is guaranteed.
The reconciliation hints at the realization that the Syrian conflict was an Arab issue and needed to be settled at that level. Whether this is the required solution is debatable, yet what transpired in Jeddah might be summed up as “well begun is half done.”
Opportunities and challenges
A trade-to-the-fore policy is needed to hasten Syria’s growth as the war-torn nation yearns for support, funding, and possibilities as it rejoins the Arab world. The only way to mend the scars of a cruel conflict and provide a new beginning for the millions of war victims and their families living and working throughout the region is to invest and assimilate.
Equally crucial is creating an equitable ecosystem to guarantee the return of its millions of refugees. The recent earthquake victims must receive aid as a top priority during Syria’s recovery efforts. Our hearts, minds, and wallets, of course, should go to ushering in hope among the most impoverished, as children in earthquake-hit areas learn in buses transformed into schools and babies are being abandoned because their parents do not have the money to offer them decent lives.
A strategy like this will eventually guarantee that Syrians employed abroad in the area may find employment at home. There is also the difficult task of reunifying millions of internally displaced individuals and refugees from Syria who are currently living in camps with their homes. The neighborhood of Syria, particularly Lebanon, and Jordan, will benefit significantly from Syria’s return to the Arab fold.
I can still remember our conversation with a former colleague from Syria who had lost family members in the early stages of the conflict. As I prepared to leave on vacation, I accidentally inquired about his intentions, and he answered something that startled me. “I have no home country to return to.” We all deserve to go home, so we must invest and assimilate into Syria.
