The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies organized a symposium entitled “Iran and the Arabs: Review of History and Politics” between 19 and 20 December, 2010. A selection of Arab researchers, who represent various schools of thought concerned with Iranian affairs, participated in the meeting.
The objective of this meeting was to examine the possibility of establishing a common position which enables Arabs to agree or disagree with Iran, with the caveat that Iran must be considerate of Arab national security issues.
Participants at the meeting discussed a number of topics, falling within the main themes which shape the Arab-Iranian relationship, including historical, geographical and religious ties. These have all impacted life in both the Arab Levant and in Arab North Africa, and have gone on to play a role in the Palestinian cause: they have shaped both the Pan-Arab relationship with Iran, as well as the bi-lateral relations between Iran and various individual Arab states.