The Arab League and the Nationalism Dilemma

ABSTRACT: Since the Arab League (AL) was founded in 1945, it has frequently been the target of harsh criticism. Additionally, AL's members' conflicting interests—which later became a highly polarized situation—were a result of both their diminishing credibility and their inability to come to a sincere agreement on the fundamental problems. These issues prevented the building from making any more progress in the future. Despite assertions to the contrary, the AL has persistently worked to maintain its piecemeal approach, arguing that Arab unity was its “raison d'être.” It is evident from certain clauses in the founding charter of the AL that the requirement for unanimity over adopted decisions has had a negative impact on the organization's development, as opposed to clauses that preserve the status quo of relationships between Arab states or the unquestionable reverence of each member state's sovereignty. Using theories of IR that offer a deeper understanding of the underlying causes of these institutional deadlocks, this study has also addressed the issue of Arab nationalism by testing its hypotheses in light of Neorealist and social constructivist findings, reviewing the institutional and theoretical framework behind the current structural anomalies within the AL. Thus, if Arab governments choose to adopt a Neorealist premise that in a society governed by self-help mechanisms, the materialistic, selfish viewpoint will continue to dominate state mentality. None could offer a thorough justification for the Arab state's decision to set aside its self-interest in favor of an established transnational organization like AL. KEYWORDS: The Arab League (AL), Arab nationalism, inter-subjectivity, international system