As the influence of the West on the Middle-east wanes, several signs of the countries in the region seeking areas of agreement, rather than zones of disagreement, are emerging. The decision this week by the foreign ministers of the Arab League to re-admit Syria to the fold is another chapter in this story that in a sense began with the resumption of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The decision by the League is significant because Syria was one of the six founders of the grouping, formed in 1945 to safeguard the independence and sovereignty of members, and to bolster ties between them.

But the Arab world, in part because of its vast reservoirs of oil, had become a battleground for covetous countries outside the region; a process that was aided by the ambitions of its own leaders. This was also one of the reasons why the League never seemed to reach its enormous potential for regional cooperation. The re-admission of Syria after 12 years and the possibility of President Bashar-al-Assad attending the summit of the League’s heads of state in Saudi Arabia later this month must be viewed as important developments. Not surprisingly, the West is not pleased.

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The US State department said Syria did not deserve readmission, while the United Kingdom said it was opposed to engagement with President Assad’s regime. Syria has been embroiled in a bitter civil war that has lasted more than a decade and claimed more than 300,000 civilian lives. While the conflict was initially internal, it soon drew in Western powers and some Gulf nations on the side of the rebels and countries such as Russia and Iran in support of the Assad regime. The West had initially provided arms and ammunition to some of the rebel groups but scaled down such support after finding these had landed in the hands of jihadists owing allegiance to the Islamic state.

Two major regional players on either side of the conflict were Iran and Saudi Arabia, the former backing President Assad and the latter offering support to the rebels. Another player in the Syrian power play has been Turkey, which has been providing support to Mr Assad’s opponents with the objective of reining in Kurdish groups. In sum therefore, Syria has over the past decade been a battleground where foreign forces have played a major role.

The easing of tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the recent visits of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to Damascus, and the restoration of diplomatic ties between Syria and Tunisia ~ all within the past few weeks ~ suggest the major realignments that are taking place in the Middle-east. Each of these developments has been a blow to the West, and unravels its security prescription for the region which has traditionally exploited internal fault lines.

The coming together of Arab nations will also force Israel to reconsider its security imperatives; Washington’s diminishing influence in the region should force Israel’s leaders to reconsider alliances with at least some nations in the neighbourhood.