Saudi summits mask Gulf divisions

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman hosted three summits last week in an impressive display of the kingdom’s convening power. The Saudis won endorsement for their isolation of the Houthis but no practical support for the war in Yemen. Their main goal, confronting Iran, was undermined by defections from their camp. The Palestinians may be the biggest winner, as the one area of agreement was support for the two-state solution and condemnation of the US administration's policy on Palestine and Jerusalem.

The king convened consecutive summits of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Mecca. Turnout was mixed. Morocco’s King Muhammad VI, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Oman’s Sultan Qaboos sent deputies, as did the emir of Qatar. Though the Qatari representative briefly shook hands with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, the blockade on Qatar was not lifted.

The GCC and Arab League communiques were harsh to the Iranians, condemning them for supporting groups like the Houthis. But Iraq disassociated itself from the statements. President Barham Salih noted that Iraq shares a 1,400-kilometer (870-mile) border with Iran and many social and economic ties. He warned that the growing tensions between Iran and the Saudis and Washington are very dangerous for the entire region. The Kuwaitis expressed concern about the risks of confrontation and sectarian violence although they were careful to adhere to the Saudi line.

Jordan’s King Abdullah backed the need for Gulf security and condemned the recent attacks on oil tankers in the Emirati port of Fujairah. But the king stressed that the greatest danger to regional stability is the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and said there is an urgent need for a political solution to the Palestinian problem, an implicit rejection of the Donald Trump administration's efforts in that regard.