For decades, the Arab media has fixated on Gaza as the central crisis, treating other worldwide Arab tragedies as peripheral. This bias often overlooks humanitarian needs and exposes a network of political and economic interests rather than genuine solidarity.
In my view, Gaza has become a file to be leveraged in regional power agendas. Consequently, the ongoing suffering ensures the continued influence of certain actors.
Consider other parts of the Arab world:
Despite their scale, however, none of these crises receives the media or political attention devoted to Gaza.
This raises a clear question: Why does Gaza dominate Arab discourse while other emergencies are overlooked? This imbalance is rooted in a long history of using the Palestinian cause as an instrument of regional influence.
The numbers speak for themselves.
In 2025, the United Nations estimated that:
- Sudan required $6 billion to aid for over 21 million people.
- Syria needed $8.6 billion for 16.7 million people.
- Gaza, by comparison, was allocated $4 billion for 3.3 million people.
This disparity shows that Gaza – though suffering – carries disproportionate political and media weight compared to larger and more devastating Arab crises.
Historically, Gaza is not the first regional issue to be amplified beyond its borders. The Lebanese Civil War from 1975 to 1990 became a stage for settling regional and international scores. What these cases share is their transformation into politically marketable issues, valued for their persistence rather than their resolution. In fact, their continuation ensures the survival of leverage and political blackmail.
Rigid narratives
In Gaza’s case, multiple actors have built rigid narratives around the cause to justify their positions and gain legitimacy. Observers note that these narratives thrive on continuous conflict. An end to fighting or a permanent settlement with Israel would mean the loss of key pressure tools, both against Arab states seeking peace and international actors susceptible to victimhood politics.
In 2010, then-Arab League secretary-general Amr Moussa acknowledged, “The Palestinian cause has often been used as a tool in inter-Arab conflicts.” This was a rare admission from a high-level Arab official.
It is important to recognize that some Arab states and regimes see resolving the Palestinian crisis as a strategic necessity to end regional drain and enable development.
Incentivized suffering
Yet other forces rely on the crisis and hostility with Israel to maintain their influence and reap political and economic benefits. The duality traps Gaza between the urge to end suffering and the incentive to perpetuate it, reducing victims to mere pawns in a larger game.
This dynamic is evident in the Arab media’s overwhelming focus on Gaza, portrayed as the ultimate test of Arab commitment to justice and freedom. Meanwhile, the crises in Yemen, Sudan, Syria, and elsewhere are marginalized in coverage.
The unfair distribution of attention fosters resentment among affected populations and weakens the ideal of Arab solidarity, which should be built on a shared destiny and common humanity.
Restoring balance requires freeing Gaza from the cliché of the “central cause.”
Gaza must be recognized as one part of a broader system of tragedies affecting the Arab world. The discourse must shift from the exceptional to the inclusive. Gaza should not monopolize Arab solidarity, nor should other crises be neglected.
Selective solidarity creates hierarchies among victims and turns humanitarian principles into a bargaining chip.
Redefining human security
This change is not merely about media coverage. It is about redefining human security priorities in the region. As long as media control remains with dictators who benefit from endless conflict, the situation will not improve. But with more diverse platforms and agendas, comparisons between Gaza and other crises will become more balanced. The Arab public will see a complete picture, not a single, carefully framed narrative.
All in all, the real tragedy is not how many cameras are pointed at a wound, but how many lives are lost and dreams buried, whether in Gaza, Sana’a, Khartoum, or Aleppo. If Arabs wish to reclaim true solidarity, they must distribute attention and effort fairly.
No single issue should dominate the discourse. To do otherwise is a betrayal of truth and brotherhood, a principle that should grant every Arab life equal value, without discrimination or favoritism.
The writer is a UAE political analyst and former Federal National Council candidate.