Moderate Axis
Definition
The concept “Moderate Axis” refers to an ad hoc regional cooperation among the governments of Sunni Arab states, including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and certain Persian Gulf states who share a political agenda based on common threats and interests.
Common Agenda
In recent months, political trends in the Middle East contributed to the consolidation of the Moderate Axis among the governments of Sunni Arab states.
The main trends and events that contributed to the formation of this informal coalition are the growing influence of Iran and the Resistance Network; Iran's nuclear program; Hamas' electoral victory in the Palestinian Authority; the war between Israel and Hizbullah; the turmoil in the Lebanese political system; and the on-going struggle against the Global Jihad.
These events created the need among the Arab rulers to cooperate in facing the challenge that rising radical Islam presents to their regimes and regional stability
The common agenda of the Moderate Axis focuses on three primary efforts: establishing a balance of power to prevent emergence of a Shiite Crescent, fighting the efforts of the Global Jihad to undermine internal regime stability, and resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.
