The Clash of Colonial Projects… Where Do the Arabs Stand?

By; Sherief Abd El-hameed 

In his novel War and Peace, the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy places a striking line in the mouth of one of his characters — a line that perhaps captures today’s Arab reality:

“History teaches no nation anything; it merely punishes those who fail to learn its lessons.”

For decades, the Middle East has witnessed fierce competition among regional and international powers, each pursuing its own strategic project to secure interests and expand influence. This rivalry has manifested most clearly in the clash of Iranian, Turkish, and Israeli ambitions — each seeking to strengthen its position at the expense of the others.

What stands out, however, is the absence of a unified and coherent Arab project — a vacuum that has allowed these powers to expand deep into the heart of the Arab world, which appears unable to articulate or implement a strategic vision of its own.

From Colonial Partition to Modern Power Projects

The region has long been shaped by external projects — from the Sykes–Picot Agreement in the early twentieth century to the U.S.-driven “Greater Middle East Project” that emerged after the September 11, 2001 attacks, stretching from Afghanistan through Iraq to the Atlantic.

Despite the Arab world comprising 22 countries across Asia and Africa, with over 450 million people, commanding the world’s largest oil and gas reserves, controlling vital maritime chokepoints, and managing trillions of dollars in sovereign wealth funds — it still lacks the most critical element:

a collective Arab strategic project capable of forging shared power into a unified deterrent force.

Historically, Soviet and communist projects once competed in the region as well. Today, the question persists: do Arabs possess a project of their own — or are they destined to remain objects rather than actors in history?

A Region Being Reengineered

The danger lies in the multiplicity of foreign visions being imposed on the Middle East while no comprehensive Arab alternative exists to defend regional interests and articulate a future shaped by Arab priorities.

This comes at a moment when the global order itself is being reshaped, and major powers — whether seeking to preserve dominance or construct a new multipolar system — view the Arab region as the primary battlefield for influence.

Nowhere is this clearer than in Palestine, where Israeli policies go beyond territorial control toward reengineering the region demographically, geographically, and politically — with U.S. backing — aiming to embed long-term Zionist dominance while eroding Arab strategic balance.

Competing Regional Projects

Since its founding, Israel has pursued a colonial-settler project.

Later emerged the Iranian project — openly articulated through claims of controlling four Arab capitals: Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut, and Sanaa — signaling ambitions of regional hegemony by Iran, particularly after the so-called Arab Spring.

This strategy materialized through militias operating outside national state authority: Popular Mobilization Forces, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

Simultaneously, instability opened space for a Turkish project, as Turkey expanded militarily into Iraq and Syria under counter-terrorism pretexts, while cultivating close ties with political Islamist movements — reviving ambitions of “neo-Ottoman” regional influence.

Toward an Arab Strategic Project

No power should be blamed for pursuing its interests — Iran, Israel, and Turkey all act according to strategic visions.

The responsibility lies with Arabs themselves.

Nothing has prevented the Arab world from developing its own comprehensive political project — one that safeguards interests, protects sovereignty, and counters rival ambitions.

Yet despite immense resources, Arab influence remains the weakest in regional power equations.

Without a unifying strategic vision, Arab states risk perpetual vulnerability — exposed to fragmentation, foreign interference, sectarian engineering, and militia politics that undermine stability and social cohesion.

Events across multiple Arab countries already testify to this reality — and what lies ahead may be even more severe if current fragmented and reactive policies persist.

A Difficult but Necessary Path

Rebuilding an Arab strategic project will not be easy. The regional landscape is complex and fraught with risks.

Yet political will — combined with successful partnerships such as Egyptian-Gulf cooperation — offers a potential foundation for collective recovery.

Only through a coherent Arab vision can the region restore balance, deter external projects, and reclaim agency over its future.