CAIRO: Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit has said protests that swept across the region in 2011 weakened many states in the region. Aboul Gheit"s remarks came during a lecture he gave at Cairo University, attended by students and university professors. Aboul Gheit was asked to comment by a student about the future of Arab states. Aboul Gheit replied saying that the first step towards creating the future is to restore and strengthen national states, and to strengthen their internal immunity and their ability to meet the needs of their citizens. Aboul Gheit said that the Arab Spring has weakened many countries in the region, which gave Iran the opportunity to envision the possibility of restoring its bygone imperial power. It also gave hope to Turkey with the possibility of going back in time to the days of the Ottoman Empire, he added. Meanwhile, the Egyptian diplomat said that outgoing President Donald Trump gave Israel what no other American president has given. President-elect, Joe Biden, he said, would not be able to undo all the measures that Trump took in favor of Israel, but the new administration will amend the situation with the Palestinians and improve the relationship with them.