This House believes it is time for the Arab League to disband
Tuesday April 25 2006
MOTION PASSED
by 60% to 40%
Details
The Arab League should be disbanded, according to the audience at the Doha Debates, who voted to shut down the 60-year-old organization amid widespread criticism of its record.
In a series of heated exchanges, speakers argued about events in Iraq, Sudan and the Palestinian territories, with many suggesting that the Arab League had failed to protect human rights and speak out against oppression.
Lebanese presidential candidate Chibli Mallat accused the League of becoming “inefficient, counter-productive, a sham and corrupt.” He said it enabled Arab Interior ministers to exchange information “in order to repress us better.”
Speaking in its defence, Dr. Azmi Bishara, an Arab-Israeli politician and member of the Israeli Knesset, acknowledged that the League was weak but said it still connected Arab states and was part of the Arab identity.
He was supported by Hesham Youssef, Chief of Cabinet for the Arab League’s Secretary General Amre Moussa, who acknowledged failures, but said “you cannot blame the League for governments not reforming.” He added that the 22-nation group had scored a number of economic successes and had spoken out strongly over the crises in Iraq and Sudan.
The final vote was 60.5% in favour of disbanding the league, with 39.5% against.
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