Damascus Protests Cairo While Israeli Jets Circle Overhead: The Arab World’s Gaza Paradox

The sight of Syrians protesting Egypt’s Gaza policy while their own skies remain dominated by Israeli warplanes exposes the deep dysfunction plaguing Arab solidarity in the face of Palestinian suffering.

A Region Divided Against Itself

The recent demonstrations in Damascus targeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi over the Rafah crossing closure represent more than just another diplomatic spat between Arab capitals. They illuminate a broader crisis of credibility and coordination that has left the Arab world increasingly impotent in addressing the Palestinian question. Syria, a nation that has endured over a decade of civil war and continues to face regular Israeli airstrikes on its territory, has positioned itself as a critic of Egypt’s handling of Gaza’s lifeline crossing point.

The Egyptian response was swift and pointed, with activists highlighting what they perceive as Syrian hypocrisy. How can a government that struggles to protect its own airspace from Israeli incursions lecture Cairo about resistance and solidarity? This exchange of accusations reveals the extent to which Arab states have become trapped in a cycle of mutual recrimination rather than constructive engagement on shared challenges.

The Historical Weight of Failed Solidarity

Egypt’s defenders were quick to invoke history, reminding critics of Cairo’s four wars with Israel and the thousands of Egyptian lives lost in defense of Arab causes, including Syria itself. The 1973 October War saw Egyptian forces coordinate with Syria in a two-front assault on Israeli positions, while earlier conflicts saw Egyptian troops deployed far from home in service of pan-Arab ideals. This historical sacrifice narrative carries significant weight in Egyptian public discourse, making external criticism particularly galling to many Egyptians.

Yet Syria too can claim its own legacy of confrontation with Israel, from the loss of the Golan Heights in 1967 to decades of support for Palestinian resistance movements. The current impasse reflects how these historical grievances have calcified into competing narratives of victimhood and virtue, preventing meaningful cooperation in the present.

The Deeper Malaise of Arab Politics

This Syrian-Egyptian tension over Gaza policy reflects three fundamental failures in contemporary Arab politics. First, the absence of any effective multilateral mechanism for coordinating regional responses to crises affecting Palestinians. The Arab League, once envisioned as a vehicle for collective action, has devolved into a forum for empty rhetoric and diplomatic point-scoring.

Second, the protests highlight how internal legitimacy crises drive foreign policy posturing. Both Damascus and Cairo face significant domestic challenges – Syria with reconstruction and sanctions, Egypt with economic pressures and regional security threats. Championing the Palestinian cause offers a relatively low-cost way to shore up nationalist credentials without addressing more pressing internal concerns.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, this episode demonstrates how Israeli strategy has successfully fragmented Arab responses. By maintaining pressure on multiple fronts – airstrikes in Syria, security coordination with Egypt, normalization with Gulf states – Israel has created a situation where Arab states are more likely to clash with each other than coordinate against common challenges.

As Syrian protesters denounce Egyptian policy while Israeli jets potentially fly overhead, and Egyptian activists mock Syrian weakness while Gaza suffers, one must ask: has the Arab world become so fractured that it now serves as its own greatest obstacle to Palestinian liberation?