THE summit did take place. Perhaps this is most important story as the sharp divisions among the Arab countries threatened to derail it, according to the views of the most optimists.

The most prominent achievement of this summit was the return of Jerusalem agenda to the forefront of the Arab political scene after attempts to hijack this issue by Iran and Turkey.

Some of the Arab governments continue to live in a state of “denial” as they do not see Iran and Turkey threatening Arab national security through their explicit occupation of Arab lands and flagrant political interventions in some Arab countries.

As a matter of fact, Iran occupies four Arab capitals, according to its announced official position, in addition to the three islands of the United Arab Emirates. Turkey occupies territories in Syria. All of these scenarios make Iran and Turkey a clear and present danger, not a just scarecrow or theoretical.

The Arabs’ “symbolic” agreement on the Saudi position brought the first Arab central issue to the forefront of the arena by focusing on highlighting the opposition to Trump’s decision to transfer the US Embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing it as the capital of Israel. The summited reiterated a unified position on a key issue and demonstrated a clear and explicit support to the Palestinian leadership against internal divisive schemes.

Meanwhile, it was clear and indisputable that the great isolation has made the State of Qatar an outcast. Everyone, who participated in the summit, avoided dealing with it and with its representative, delivering a stinging rebuke to the Qatari regime for its divisive agenda.

All hope is that the League of Arab States will consider adopting economy as the sole goal of the next summit in Tunisia, and those specific projects such as linking electricity between Arab countries and extending the railway will be discussed. Projects that can be far from the slogans, projects that are achievable and can actually be implemented on the ground, projects that can contribute to improving the quality of life for citizens of different Arab countries and add hundreds of career opportunities to the economy is the goal, and for the policy to take some rest. The economy is a source of hope and an inspiration, but the policy is frustrating, despicable and leading to fragmentation.

The time has come for the economy to be the master of the Arab summits. Politics has taken its time and size and its failures have been far more than any achievement. The Palestinian issue itself, if it is focused on the economic aspects in which the strengthening of the presence will be the most important achievement. We have tried politics enough to open the door for economic summits. We have nothing to lose after we have lost so much before. Saudi Arabia’s success in organizing a focused and effective Arab summit gives hope for more new ideas.