Are Palestinian–Arab relations really as bad as they're often made out to be?
As-salamu alaykum - I keep seeing non-Arab/non-Muslim discussions that wonder why some Arab states don’t do more for Gaza, and then people bring up things like Black September or Arafat and Kuwait in 1990 and conclude Palestinians are universally hated. That feels overly simplistic to me. It ignores how relationships have shifted since 1970 or 1991. Jordan, for example, officially recognized Palestine in 1988 and even hosted some Hamas figures for a time - which suggests their problems historically were often with the PLO/PFLP leadership more than with ordinary Palestinians. Jordan also hosts the largest Palestinian diaspora and many royal family members have Palestinian connections. Kuwait’s case is more complicated, but ties with the PLO were restored in the early–mid 2000s, Palestinian teachers were rehired, and Kuwait is a significant donor of humanitarian aid. I’m not claiming everything is perfect. Older generations in some places understandably harbor resentment over past incidents involving the PLO, and political tensions remain. But I’ve seen claims like “all Arabs/Muslims hate Palestinians and only leftists support them,” which echo a damaging talking point used to justify mistreatment. Most people today weren’t even alive when those past events happened. From what I’ve found, many Arabs may distrust certain political groups like the PLO or Hamas, yet still feel deep sympathy for Palestinian civilians. Arab countries have been sending humanitarian assistance: the UAE has been a big contributor, many Palestinian patients have been treated in Egypt, and Jordan has established field hospitals, among other efforts. That’s the picture my research paints - I’m curious what others think.