US invites Arab, Israeli ministers to NATO anniversary summit

The US has invited the foreign ministers of Israel and several Arab countries to a NATO summit in Washington next month, bringing tensions over the war in Gaza to the gathering.

The 75th anniversary summit offers US President Joe Biden the chance to display his policy of bolstering Washington’s international partnerships and alliances, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

But it will also highlight what many diplomats see as contradictions in Washington’s stance on Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war. 

And while member states are aligned on supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia, many of its members and partners are deeply divided over Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.

NATO usually invites at least some of its partners to its annual gathering but, as host of the anniversary summit, the US has invited foreign ministers from as many as 31 countries who have partnerships with the alliance, including Japan, Australia and South Korea, partly in an effort to head off possible tensions over its invitation to Israel.

Arab invitees include Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Last year’s NATO summit in Vilnius included representatives from Ukraine and partners from the Asia-Pacific region. The 2022 summit in Madrid included a slightly wider grouping.

The foreign ministers of partner countries will not participate in official NATO meetings and will attend events on the summit sidelines, such as the 75th anniversary dinner.

“Secretary-general Stoltenberg has invited heads of state and government of all 32 allies, plus the leaders of our Indo-Pacific partners (Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea),” a NATO official said in a statement.

Including some Arab states and Israel in the summit is a way for the US to illustrate its value as a convening power and the benefits of its multilateral alliances, say analysts.