Saudi summits mask Gulf divisions

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman hosted three summits last week in an impressive display of the kingdom’s convening power. The Saudis won endorsement for their isolation of the Houthis but no practical support for the war in Yemen. Their main goal, confronting Iran, was undermined by defections from their camp. The Palestinians may be the biggest winner, as the one area of agreement was support for the two-state solution and condemnation of the US administration's policy on Palestine and Jerusalem.

The king convened consecutive summits of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Mecca. Turnout was mixed. Morocco’s King Muhammad VI, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Oman’s Sultan Qaboos sent deputies, as did the emir of Qatar. Though the Qatari representative briefly shook hands with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, the blockade on Qatar was not lifted.