Will Syria regain its seat in the Arab League this year?

Syria's seat in the Arab League has been vacant since 2011, but it might be occupied again this year. Is Syria's return to its seat in the league subject to a vote by the member countries? The Arab League's internal regulations confirm that there is no need for a vote, as decisions within the council are usually taken by consensus, and dissenting countries register their reservations, especially if it is one or two countries.

In limited cases, the Arab League Charter refers to the possibility of resorting to voting when consensus becomes impossible, as happened in the decision to condemn Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and allowing the use of foreign forces.

So far, several countries still oppose Damascus's return to the Arab League, most notably Qatar. The Qatari Prime Minister has described talks about Syria's return as speculation. Deliberations in Jeddah among the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt, which are considering the possibilities of Syria's return to the league before the Arab Summit scheduled for May 19, will determine the outcome.

The answer will emerge after the deliberations, which begin tonight and continue until late at night. During the Jeddah meeting, a plan proposed by Jordan will also be discussed, which, according to a Jordanian official who spoke to Reuters, could potentially resolve the Syrian crisis.

This plan includes the formation of an Arab group that directly communicates with the Syrian government and addresses ways to address the humanitarian, security, and political aspects of the conflict. In the end, the coming days will answer the following question: Will Syria return to its Arab friends?