Angry Arabs
We Arabs are expected to condemn Israel whenever the opportunity presents itself. If we’re constantly complaining it’s because there’s always something to complain about – repeated transgressions and ongoing occupation provide virtually infinite room for criticism. Arab leaders in particular have mastered the art of speaking out against Israel although they never actually do anything to change the situation for the better.
Their foreign ministers met a few days ago to discuss events and issue statements – a waste of time. Topping the list of achievements was a decision to take the matter to the UN Security Council where the US is waiting to use its veto power.
Mahmoud Khodr sums things up rather well:
President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, the mother of the Arab world, to his eternal damnation even refused to open the Rafah crossing to allow immediate life saving aid to the children of Palestine.Even the simplest of all actions such as recalling Arab Ambassadors from Israel, or a temporary halt of supplying oil and gas to Israel, or a temporary ban of flights between Arab capitols and Israel, or the denial of entry visas to Israeli tourists, or….or….; not one of these actions was contemplated much less implemented by Arab regimes that have diplomatic relations with Israel such as Egypt, Jordan, Mauritania, or trade relations with Gulf nations such as Qatar.
So rather than take meaningful action themselves, Arab leaders are once again looking in vain to others for solutions. Even if they prove successful in forcing a fair resolution down Khalilzad’s throat, there is nothing to stop Israel from doing what it does best – ignoring demands from the international community.
Only fear prevents our beloved Arab despots from uniting effectively in opposition to Israel. Most of them have been trying desperately to make nice with the US for quite some time; they don’t want to jeopardize the advances they’ve made nor the financial incentives that come along with them. Surely they could exert significant political and economic leverage (there’s more than enough money around to weather the storm), but these ‘leaders’ don’t have to do anything but posture. Afterall, they aren’t held accountable by the people. For them everything is about money and they have no real incentive to help the Palestinians.
To be fair, Israel takes the lion’s share of the blame for what’s happening now, and indeed all the violence that has taken place since 1948. Ethnic cleansing, terrorism and occupation are only some of the methods that have been used to create and maintain the Zionist state. Acts of violence perpetrated by Palestinians are not without justification, even if they are an exercise in futility and serve as pretexts for Israeli military activity.
But the resistance is about more than violence – their leaders like to talk too. Since the current assault on Gaza began, Hassan Nassrallah has repeatedly denounced Arab governments for their failure to take action. Most of his criticism has understandably been directed at Egypt who he accused of collaborating with the enemy. Earlier this evening, he spoke out against the decision of Arab foreign minsters to take the Gaza issue to the UN. He has given at least three televised speeches over the past week in which he has called on his followers to be ready for any Israeli aggression on Lebanon… but unlike the summer of 2006, he claims to have no plans of his own.
Sadly, the Arab world as a whole has repeatedly failed to live up to the flowery rhetoric of its representatives. Before 1948, most Arab states were nowhere to be found. Over the past three decades, the only country to bear the brunt of Israeli aggression has been Lebanon. Of course, the millions of Palestinians living under brutal occupation in the West Bank and Gaza are no strangers to Israeli brutality – they deal with it on a daily basis.
While I have no doubts that the majority of people in the Arab world would like to see the Israelis put in their place, they are either incapable or unwilling to exert the necessary pressure to bring change. Protests have been ongoing, but turnout has been relatively low. Unfortunately, the masses of the Arab street have grown increasingly complacent. There is a common feeling of helplessness… “What can we do?”
The day after the airstrikes began, Nasrallah delivered his first speech. The most memorable part of it was when he called on the Egyptian people to take to the streets, assuring them that their voices would be heard. The camera turned to a crowd of men pumping their fists in the air.
And the crowd goes wild…
