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Syrian political analyst Mazen Al-Olaiwy said in a September 16, 2020 interview on Alghad TV (UAE/Egypt) that the Arab countries did not achieve any substantial gains by waging war against Israel, and he suggested that a peaceful solution has become the best way to restore the rights of the Palestinians.
Mazen Al-Olaiwy: "How will this [peace] agreement help in bringing about change? First of all, the most important point is strengthening the concept of peace instead of the concept of war. The drums of war that the Arabs have been beating for 70 or 80 years have not gotten us anywhere. We were defeated in 1948 and in 1967, and in 1973 we did not really win, even if we were not defeated badly. After that, the balance of power in the region was upset..."
Interviewer: "But in 1973, we were victorious in 1973... I believe that we won in 1973 and the military campaign came to an end. Afterwards, we turned to negotiations."
Al-Olaiwy: "It was not a victory... Let's be clear. We call it a 'victory,' but it was a victory only in the sense that we were not defeated. What really happened? Let's be reasonable and realistic. Syria liberated Quneitra, but lost the Golan Heights and other territories. Things were more or less balanced. If not for the Camp David Accord, Egypt would not have regained Sinai. Indeed, the [Arabs] had some achievements in the 1973 war: The crossing of the Bar Lev Line by Egypt is one example. The liberation of the outpost on Mount Hermon by Syria... There were achievements that nobody can deny. In addition, the most important thing was the Arab solidarity. All the Arabs showed solidarity and were united and therefore Israel was not able to gain a sweeping victory like in 1967.
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"After Camp David, considerations changed. Israel became stronger and stronger, while the Arabs did not become as strong. The Israeli military arsenal developed very much, while the Arab arsenal did not develop to the same level. Therefore, since 1973, war has no longer been the only option. After Oslo, when the Palestinians themselves signed an agreement... Yasser Arafat supervised it and Mahmoud Abbas was also there. This agreement limited the role of the Arabs in the Palestinian cause. However, the Arabs did not give up their support for the Palestinian cause. A peaceful solution has become the best and the most appropriate option for restoring the rights of the Palestinians."
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