CAIRO/LONDON/TEL AVIV: Arab nations are considering an Egyptian proposal to establish a joint military force comprising troops and arms contributed by members of the Arab League, Arab media reporte.
The proposal, first mooted in 2015, is being resurrected in response to Israel’s strike on the Qatari capital of Doha which targeted senior Hamas leaders. The proposal to create a united, Nato-style military force was first presented by Egypt at a 2015 Arab summit held in Sharm El Sheikh. It was adopted in principle, but progress was not made in follow-up meetings, reportedly because of differences over a command structure and headquarters for the force.
At the time, the Egyptian proposal was drafted in response to the takeover of large areas of Yemen by the Iran-backed Houthis. A Saudi-led coalition was established instead to fight on the side of Yemen’s internationally-recognised government.
Egypt is now understood to be pushing for Cairo to be the force’s headquarters. Egypt, which boasts the Middle East’s largest army, also wants the commander’s position to rotate among the 22 members of the Arab League, with an Egyptian serving the first term. A civilian would serve as secretary-general.
The force would be made up of naval, air and ground units and boast an unspecified number of elite troops trained as commandos and in counterterrorism tactics, the sources said. The force would also take up peacekeeping missions in Arab countries.
Meanwhile, a large majority of Israelis oppose annexation of the West Bank and favor strengthening ties with moderate Arab states, according to a new public opinion survey presented by the Shield of Abraham on Sunday.
The poll, released during a conference hosted by the Coalition for Regional Security, indicates that most Israelis are worried that unilateral annexation or an extended military campaign in Gaza could harm regional alliances and weaken Israel’s international standing.
According to the findings, 72 percent of respondents said that preserving the Abraham Accords and expanding relations with moderate Arab countries is a core national interest. Only 13 percent disagreed.
Five years after the signing of the Abraham Accords, 67 percent said the agreements have strengthened Israel’s security, economy, and regional position. Eighteen percent disagreed. A clear majority, 57 percent, warned that further military operations in Gaza could damage Israel’s diplomatic ties and undermine the Abraham Accords.
Seventy-eight percent of those surveyed believe that normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia and building a regional coalition of moderate states would reduce Iran’s influence in the Middle East. When asked about possible arrangements for Gaza after the war, 43 percent said the best path to removing Hamas and demilitarizing the Strip lies in a regional agreement. Twenty-nine percent supported encouraging the population to emigrate, while 17 percent backed a full Israeli military takeover and rule.
A significant majority, 78 percent, said they would support a new diplomatic initiative led by former US president Donald Trump that includes ending the war, securing the release of hostages, disarming Hamas, normalizing ties with Saudi Arabia, and establishing a political separation from the Palestinians alongside a regional security alliance to counter Iran.
Support for normalization remained strong across the board. Sixty-six percent said they support expanding the Abraham Accords and formalizing ties with Saudi Arabia this year. However, 58 percent expressed concern that applying sovereignty over parts of the West Bank could harm relations with Arab allies. Half of the respondents said the government’s current approach is pushing Israel away from moderate Arab states, while 28 percent said the opposite.
When asked about the overall impact of expanding normalization agreements, 58 percent said the benefits to Israel’s security, economy, regional position and Iran deterrence would be significant. Only 6.4 percent said the impact would be minimal.
Meanwhile, according to Ben Murane, the executive director of the New Israel Fund of Canada (NIFC), most Canadian Jews oppose the current Israeli government and support a two-state solution. He made these comments during a Haaretz conference in Toronto on June 30, 2025. Murane’s claim reflects the perspective of NIFC, a left-leaning organization that supports a peaceful, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is often critical of the Israeli government’s policies.
His comments align with findings from recent polls, which indicate a divergence of opinions within the Canadian Jewish community, challenging the perception that it holds a monolithic, unconditionally pro-Israel stance. A December 2024 poll commissioned by several left-leaning Jewish organizations found that while 94% of Canadian Jews believe Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state, only 51% consider themselves Zionists. The same poll also found that about half of Canadian Jews favor a two-state solution.
A study published in Canadian Jewish Studies in April 2024 found that Jewish emotional attachment to Israel declined after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the subsequent Gaza war.
Meanwhile, one of the UK’s most prestigious defense academies has banned Israelis from enrolling in its program due to Tel Aviv’s military actions in the Gaza Strip, which some EU officials have recently described as genocidal acts.
Starting next year, the Royal College of Defence Studies will not be accepting students from Israel, the UK government confirmed on Sunday. The college has promoted understanding among military officers, diplomats, civil servants, and officials for almost a century. Each year, about 110 members from the UK and abroad join its program. Notable alumni include Field Marshall Alan Francis Brooke and former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
The exclusion of Israelis from the college is the first since its establishment in 1927, and it comes as the latest punitive measure against Israel taken by the UK government over its massacres in Gaza. The UK government banned Israeli officials from attending the UK’s largest arms exhibition last week.
It also pledged to recognize Palestinian statehood in the UN General Assembly later this month, unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in the Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza and commits to not annexing the West Bank.
