<span fr-original-class="customBullet" fr-original-style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 12px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block;" style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 12px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block; box-sizing: border-box;">•&nbsp;&nbsp; Malaysia's air force:&nbsp;After seven years of negotiations and deliberations, the Malaysian military finalized its acquisition of Kuwait’s coveted F/A-18C/D Hornets, outbidding both Tunisia and the US Marine Corps.<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Zoom out:&nbsp;Malaysia's air fleet is historically reliant on Russian merchandise. However, the nation is increasingly diversifying its fleet, most recently acquiring South Korean jets, as well as ramping up domestic production.</li></ul>

Aposto World

As in the previous Bulletin, the tense relations between the government and the opposition are at the forefront of the political agenda. At least until the elections, this situation is less likely to change. Before delving into this subject, we need to touch on a new development that concerns all of us as citizens of Turkey.The latest "Human Freedom Index", prepared by two think-tanks (Cato Institute and Fraser Institute) based in North America, was announced on January 27. Accordingly, Turkey has gradually declined from 7.06 points in 2010, when it achieved the highest score in terms of general freedom level, to 5.71 points by 2022 and has fallen to 130th place among 165 countries.Since Turkey's score in 2018 (reflecting the 2017 data) is almost the same (5.72), the current data of 5.71 means that the state of emergency still continues, even though it has been officially lifted. With this score, Turkey lags behind 26th in Armenia, 28th in [South] Cyprus, 43rd in Georgia, 87th in Kyrgyzstan, 107th in Kazakhstan, 113th in Tunisia and Kuwait, 119th place in Russia, and 129th in Qatar.In addition, according to these data, Turkey received the lowest grade for "freedom of expression and information" with a score of 3.0, which is also below its general average. Turkey's "rule of law" score is similarly on the ground with 3.8 points.Indeed, this embarrassingly poor record of our country on freedom and human rights is not surprising to us as citizens. The President of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and forensic expert, Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı, was the latest victim and an example of the government’s poor record in the human rights index. As we witnessed that Prof. Fincancı was sentenced to 2 years, 8 months, and 15 days in prison in the case where she was charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" for saying that the allegations of using chemical weapons in the operations carried out by the Turkish army in Northern Iraq should be investigated by independent committees.On the other hand, "Law No. 7418 on Amendments to the Press Law and Certain Laws", which was adopted by the Parliament in October last year and stipulated that those who spread "false information" are punished with imprisonment from 1 to 3 years, brought a new set of restrictions on the freedom of expression and press. These and similar regulations and judicial decisions based on them show that the above-mentioned statistics by the international organizations regarding the poor performance of freedom of expression in Turkey is, unfortunately, correct. This Law also exposes non-governmental organizations to the risk of being tried for up to three years in prison due to the opinions expressed on their platforms.Behind other developments that spoiled Turkey's record, there lies the series of unconstitutional contradictions brought up by Tayyip Erdoğan's intention to run for the presidency for the third time and to decide on the re-election of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. If it takes place, this attempt will violate both the provision of the Constitution that a person can be a candidate for the presidency "at most twice" and the exceptional rule that the third time candidacy is possible only if the legislature decides to renew the elections while the president is in his second term in office.Since all constitutional powers are under the control or tutelage of the president in the current system, it seems that there is no constitutional body or office - including the judicial one - to prevent these constitutional violations. The opposition, on the other hand, seems to be unwilling to take any action to prevent the president despite expressing this contradiction, probably in the hope that they can defeat Tayyip Erdoğan in the elections - and with the thought that this is more appropriate politically.This is not the only obstacle that the main wing of the opposition, which came together at the "Table for Six", might face on the way to the general elections. The trap that the ruling bloc set for the opposition under the name of "liberating the headscarf" is about to be activated. As a matter of fact, the opposition's motion to make the ruling parties' proposal compatible with human rights was rejected by the representatives of the government in the Constitutional Commission. In this case, it seems that the AKP-MHP ruling bloc plans to put the opposition candidate in hot water in the presidential election by ensuring that their proposals are put to a referendum without any change and by making propaganda that the opposition is against the "freedom of the headscarf".Meanwhile, the lawsuit filed at the Constitutional Court for the closure of the Peoples' Democracy Party (HDP) apparently continues in line with the expectations of the ruling bloc. The Supreme Court unanimously rejected the request of the respondent party to leave the proceedings of the case until after the election. Meanwhile, considering that the defendant Party will make an oral defense on March 14, it seems highly likely that the case will be decided before the elections and will result in a decision of "deprivation of treasury aid".Speaking of the judiciary, it should be pointed out that the President of the Supreme Court Mehmet Akarca's criticisms that the Constitutional Court overstepped its authority by turning "individual applications" into a kind of appeal review and adopted a "judicial activist" attitude. It should be noted that this statement of the President of the Supreme Court is not pleasant not only in terms of its political meaning but also in terms of the President's own dignity. By doing so, the President wants to show that he stands by the political power against the Constitutional Court, which he sees as a rival. This outburst may also damage the President's own legal identity by making claims that have no legal basis. This, in turn, might give the impression that he does not have enough knowledge about the legal nature of the issue on which he makes such claims.In the meantime, while it has been a common belief for some time that the Turkish Statistical Institute has been one of the institutions most affected by the corruption caused by the oppressive and favoritism politics in recent years, especially due to the unreliable inflation rates it has announced, now the statements made on behalf of the Central Bank put this institution also in the same category. As a matter of fact, judging by the President's unconvincing statement on January 26, the Central Bank has completely abandoned its main task of ensuring price stability and has undertaken the task of supporting political power just on the eve of the general elections. Indeed, according to President Kavcıoğlu's statement, inflation will decrease to 22% at the end of 2023 and to around 9% at the end of 2024. On the other hand, Turkey's energy costs will decrease in 2023, as energy costs will decrease both due to the decrease in prices and as a result of the domestic natural gas resources being put into service in March, and thus, the budget will be able to give a current surplus!See you in the next Bulletin.

The Freedom Observer

<h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Introducing...&nbsp;<a fr-original-style="" href="https://aposto.com/n/aposto-sports" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Aposto Sports</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a fr-original-style="" href="https://aposto.com/n/aposto-finance" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Aposto Finance</a></h2><h3 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">🙌&nbsp;This week, our new publications Aposto Sports and Aposto Finance published their first issues!</h3><hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">You can find the best articles at Aposto on sports, at&nbsp;<a fr-original-style="" href="https://aposto.com/n/aposto-sports" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Aposto Sports</a>. Curated by our editors, topics include soccer, basketball, tennis, F1, and more.A Winning World Cup Strategy for the Arab WorldBy Daoud KuttabAMMAN – For decades, the Arab world has suffered from disunity. While it is connected by geography, language, and culture, the region’s lack of cohesion has long allowed foreign powers to plunder its resources. The legacy of colonial divide-and-rule tactics remains pervasive, and parochialism has prevented Arabs from leveraging their huge oil wealth and relatively educated populations. But the FIFA World Cup has shown us another way.Football has emerged as a great unifier following a string of unexpected victories for Arab countries. In November, Saudi Arabia beat Argentina, Tunisia defeated France, and Morocco routed Belgium. Then, during the knockout stage, Morocco made history by eliminating both Spain and Portugal to become the first Arab country to secure a place in the semifinals.Morocco’s victories were the result of a perfectly executed plan devised by coach Walid Regragui, who placed goalkeeper Yassine Bounou at the center of the team’s strategy. Bounou repeatedly stymied Spain’s attempts to score, and Morocco went on to eliminate the team in penalty shootouts. Nor could Portugal’s attackers find a way to beat Bounou, and Regragui’s side pulled off a stunning 1-0 win. “I’m trying to think of when such a shock as this has happened in the World Cup,” one commentator told the BBC. “Pinch me, I’m dreaming,” Bounou said.<p contenteditable="false" fr-original-class="custom-button-wrapper fr-deletable" fr-original-style="text-align:center" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><a bgcolor="#effe75" color="#090909" contenteditable="false" fr-original-class="custom-button-link" fr-original-style="background-color:#effe75 !important;color:#090909 !important" href="https://aposto.com/i/a-winning-world-cup-strategy-for-the-arab-world" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: rgb(239, 254, 117) !important; color: rgb(9, 9, 9) !important; text-decoration: none; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Read more</a><p contenteditable="false" fr-original-class="custom-button-wrapper fr-deletable" fr-original-style="text-align:center" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><a bgcolor="#effe75" color="#090909" contenteditable="false" fr-original-class="custom-button-link" fr-original-style="background-color:#effe75 !important;color:#090909 !important" href="https://aposto.com/n/aposto-sports" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Subscribe</a>

Aposto Digest

Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, hosted the 1st China-Arab Summit on December 9. The Summit, attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the leaders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Tunisia, Kuwait, and Sudan, was closely watched to monitor China's growing influence on the Middle East and the course of the US-China struggle. In addition to the Arab Summit, Xi Jinping also attended the African Summit with the leaders of African countries.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/11/0/1671352437462.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="1.92" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">APChina’s President Jinping received an official welcome in Saudi Arabia, a country of great importance for his Middle East and energy policy, and described his visit as ‘the beginning of a new era’ that will further deepen cooperation between the two countries in various areas. Jinping said that China aims to cooperate with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries in the fields of nuclear energy, nuclear security, and space exploration, signaling that his country will invest more in the Middle East in the following period.Projects that articulate with one anotherChina's Middle East policy is centred on Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, and the Gulf countries, which are critical to the flow and security of energy supply. On December 8, one day before the China-Arab Summit, Jinping traveled to Riyadh, where he signed the ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement’ between China and Saudi Arabia with King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia.In this context, 34 investment agreements were signed between the two countries, and it was agreed that Saudi Arabia's vision for the future, called ‘Vision 2030’, which aims to expand the sectoral diversification of its economy, and China's ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ project, which stretches from Asia-Pacific to Europe, will be developed in tandem with each other. Commenting on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Investment Khalid Al Falih announced that his country signed a 50 billion-dollar investment agreement with China.Cooperation between China and the Arab countries has increased in recent years, ranging from the defense industry to technology transfer. China's arms sales to the Middle East and Gulf countries have increased dramatically in recent years, while China-based construction companies have undertaken massive infrastructure and new settlement projects in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.On the other hand, the Chinese government, which sells ‘facial recognition technologies’ to Gulf countries, especially to the UAE and Bahrain, is also conducting joint research projects in the field of artificial intelligence with these countries. Seeking to further increase its share and importance in world trade, China is continuously expanding its port and logistics investments in the Middle East, Gulf and African countries as part of the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’.China's growing interest in the Middle EastThe Chinese Communist Party, which rules the world's most populous country with an authoritarian system, sees securing energy supplies as one of the main goals of its foreign policy &nbsp;to maintain high growth rates and job creation for the stability of the system. Energy and transportation are the main sectors of the Belt and Road Initiative, with 44% of the project budget allocated directly to energy investments. Fossil fuels account for 91% of the energy investments made by Chinese banks in target countries under the Belt and Road Initiative. In this context, the Middle East countries are the largest suppliers of the oil supply that China needs, and therefore, both politically and economically, the countries of the region have become a focal point for the Chinese government.The table below shows the Middle Eastern countries have a great share in China’s oil imports. China’s huge dependence on the Middle East’s oil reserves has led China to become more economically and politically active in the region and to strengthen its existing cooperation and alliances. <img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/11/0/1671362535952.png" width="550" height="156" ratio="3.53" style="width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" fr-original-style="width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Middle East crude oil export statistics to ChinaAt the December 9 summit, Xi Jinping also pledged greater use of the yuan for gas and oil imports from Gulf countries. Jinping has long placed the use of the yuan in bilateral trade as an alternative to the dollar, an important symbol of US hegemony, at the centre of his foreign trade policy. By increasing the strength and share of the yuan in international trade, Jinping wants to show China's rise as a new superpower to the whole world.Since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, China has invested more than 123 billion dollars in the Middle East and North Africa. Meanwhile, it has greatly increased its trade volume with Middle Eastern countries, becoming the leading trading partner of many countries in the region.China, Saudi Arabia's number one trading partner, signed a partnership agreement in 2017 to build a drone manufacturing factory there. Today, it is steadily increasing its military cooperation and investments with Saudi Arabia.On the other hand, the trade volume between Iraq and China increased by 1000% between 2008-2018, reaching 30 billion dollars. Iraq has become China's third largest oil supplier, while China has become Iraq's largest trading partner and foreign investor.Moreover, Iran, which has a strategic importance for China politically, militarily, and economically, signed a ‘25-Year Cooperation Agreement’ in March 2021. Iran has a strategic position in China's energy imports, both because it has huge oil reserves and because around 40% of China's oil imports are transported through the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, it has a key role in the Eurasian leg of the Belt and Road Initiative, as it has land access to Azerbaijan and Central Asian states with large oil and natural gas resources. Like many Middle Eastern countries, Iran's primary trading partner is China, and according to EU Commission data, Iran exchanges 28.6% of its imports and 40.4% of its exports with China.China is as dependent on foreign suppliers of natural gas as it is on crude oil, and Qatar, the world's largest exporter of liquid natural gas along with Australia, is of great importance to China. Qatar's liquefied natural gas exports to China account for 28% of China's domestic consumption, giving Qatar a strategic significance for China's energy security.China fills the gap brought on by the USDuring Xi Jinping's visit to the Gulf countries in 2018, important agreements were made with the countries in the region in the fields of defense and telecommunications. The UAE signed a deal to use US-sanctioned Huawei's 5G infrastructure and bought Chinese-made L-15 jets after the Biden administration halted the purchase of US-made F-35 fighter jets.&nbsp;Saudi Arabia, which remains heavily dependent on the United States in the fields of defense and security, is also deepening its defense cooperation with China, especially the import of drones, while transferring know-how from Chinese companies in nuclear energy, which is of great importance for the Vision 2030 plan. The Gulf states' deepening cooperation with China in the areas of defense, energy, and telecommunications is fundamentally aimed at creating the necessary resources to move away from the US and pursue an independent foreign policy.The US Congress has conditioned investment, cooperation, and sales in both military technology and nuclear energy on its own foreign policy priorities, forcing Gulf states to seek alternative alliances. In this sense, authoritarian countries such as Russia and China, with their realistic foreign policy, offer an important alternative to authoritarian Gulf monarchies seeking ‘unconditional’ interlocutors in defense industry, nuclear energy, and communication technologies.In China's case, the main motivation for its massive economic investments and bilateral agreements in the Middle East is energy supply, which is vital to maintain stable growth rates.The US withdrawal from the Middle East, which started with Donald Trump and continued with Joe Biden, is creating political and economic opportunities in the region for China. In addition to cooperation and trade agreements, China has signed astronomical arms deals with Iran and Saudi Arabia, and conducts joint military exercises and intelligence sharing with Iran. Especially given the importance of the Strait of Hormuz for oil supplies, Iran's strong military presence in the region and ensuring the security of sea routes is highly crucial for China.In order to take bilateral relations to a higher level and secure energy imports and trade agreements, China has signed cooperation and partnership agreements with many Middle Eastern countries, and with the China-Arab Summit, these relations have been institutionalized and bilateral partnerships have been extended to a wide range of fields, especially nuclear energy. It can be said that the Iranian factor is the biggest obstacle to the deepening of China-Gulf relations in the following period. The regional conflicts and leadership struggle between Iran and the Gulf states will force China to develop relations that stabilize the region and satisfy both sides.

Spektrum

The outcomes of the China-Arab Summit are of great importance for international relations.

China and the Middle East: Institutionalisation of relationships

By Daoud KuttabAMMAN – For decades, the Arab world has suffered from disunity. While it is connected by geography, language, and culture, the region’s lack of cohesion has long allowed foreign powers to plunder its resources. The legacy of colonial divide-and-rule tactics remains pervasive, and parochialism has prevented Arabs from leveraging their huge oil wealth and relatively educated populations. But the FIFA World Cup has shown us another way.Football has emerged as a great unifier following a string of unexpected victories for Arab countries. In November, Saudi Arabia beat Argentina, Tunisia defeated France, and Morocco routed Belgium. Then, during the knockout stage, Morocco <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2022/12/10/world-cup-2022-moroccos-road-to-the-semi-final" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">made history</a> by eliminating both Spain and Portugal to become the first Arab country to secure a place in the semifinals.Morocco’s victories were the result of a perfectly executed plan devised by coach Walid Regragui, who placed goalkeeper Yassine Bounou at the center of the team’s strategy. Bounou repeatedly stymied Spain’s attempts to score, and Morocco went on to eliminate the team in penalty shootouts. Nor could Portugal’s attackers find a way to beat Bounou, and Regragui’s side pulled off a stunning 1-0 win. “I’m trying to think of when such a shock as this has happened in the World Cup,” one commentator <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/61047820?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=6394bab4e7e8f473cfbfd3bd%26Ronaldo%20in%20tears%262022-12-10T16%3A58%3A28.626Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:1b6fa710-a8da-4f51-b8d5-263ed9405e42&pinned_post_asset_id=6394bab4e7e8f473cfbfd3bd&pinned_post_type=share" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">told the BBC</a>. “Pinch me, I’m dreaming,” Bounou <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/soccer/moroccos-tactical-masterplan-ignites-unlikely-world-cup-run/2022/12/11/4b30e3d0-796c-11ed-bb97-f47d47466b9a_story.html?isMobile=1" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">said</a>.The team’s success is no dream. Morocco knew it was an underdog from the beginning. Its David and Goliath-like plan involves a defense-heavy <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.therecord.com/ts/sports/soccer/2022/12/11/moroccos-tactical-masterplan-ignites-unlikely-world-cup-run.html" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">4-1-4-1 formation</a> that leverages the strength of its star goalkeeper. But every position is crucial and requires utmost dedication to a single goal.Morocco’s players have shown that dedication, inspiring people throughout the region. Following the team’s victories, Arab children danced in the streets, and fans and players in Qatar were seen <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/07/sports/soccer/palestine-flag-world-cup.html" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">waving the Palestinian flag</a> in shows of Arab solidarity. Every winning Arab team made sure that their group picture and public statement included signs and words of solidarity with Palestine.Perhaps not surprisingly, Bounou, who also plays for Sevilla in Spain’s La Liga, has become something of a role model for Arab youth. Tall and agile, his confidence, humility, and sense of community make him stand out in a sport whose stars are more often known for displays of swagger and arrogance.The same vices have held back the Arab world more broadly. While basing a team’s strategy on cohesion might seem like a no-brainer, Arab states usually find this hard to achieve – in sport and in life. True, Algeria’s Taoufik Makhloufi won the 1,500-meter run gold at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj bagged gold medals for the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter runs in Athens in 2004, and in 1996, Syria’s Ghada Shouaa won gold at the Atlanta games heptathlon. But all these players won in individual events. When it comes to team sports, Arab countries usually fail miserably.Similar shortcomings are reflected in business and trade in the region. The Arab League, for example, was created to foster greater unity in the Arab world. But intra-Arab trade <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08853908.2022.2029725" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">still accounts for</a> less than 10% of Arab countries’ imports and exports. Family-based small businesses may thrive, but Arab corporations barely make a dent in global commerce. This seems unlikely to change anytime soon. The World Economic Forum estimates that over <a fr-original-style="" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/08/family-businesses-lifeblood-of-the-middle-east/__;!!M9LbjjnYNg9jBDflsQ!GQ2Q07pdmW4huqaJPYxEavBOS4cBKEQDrBkxxJnKCGPlKR4WlJQq8eesQF-DinJO_8fI0BxmDGwIGn-myBNSVjsC$" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">75% of the Arab world’s successful companies</a> are family-owned.Disunity has serious political consequences as well. The absence of a unified strategy to address famine in Sudan, a country often thought of as the region’s breadbasket, is surely making the situation there worse. Likewise, Palestinians’ internal division when it comes to control of their territories has contributed to their failure to achieve the dignity and freedom they so desperately need. In the last Israeli elections, Arab political parties couldn’t agree on a unified slate of candidates for the Knesset, wasting hundreds of thousands of votes as a result. Even citizens of wealthy Arab countries face hunger and literacy problems.Arab unity based on well-executed and realistic strategies would make a huge difference to the region. And it is here that Morocco’s World Cup should inspire us. Only by applying more broadly the concepts of selflessness and teamwork that have been central to the team’s success can young Arabs and future politicians, who remain glued to their TV sets as Morocco makes history, translate their shared enthusiasm into real-life unity.<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist, is a former professor of journalism at Princeton University.<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2022. <a fr-original-style="" href="http://www.project-syndicate.org/" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">www.project-syndicate.org</a>

Arab unity based on well-executed and realistic strategies would make a huge difference to the region. And it is here that Morocco’s World Cup should inspire us. 

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