A rchive Date
[ 23-02-2005 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Palestine ]
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[http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/feuer.html
Arab nations stoke Mideast flames
By ED FEUER - Winnipeg Sun
April 30, 2001
For all the saturation coverage of the Middle East situation, an important element has been missed by the passing caravans of instant experts. Namely: it is not a Palestinian-Israeli conflict but an Arab-Israeli conflict.
President George W. Bush's statement that the Arab nations have a crucial responsibility shows someone in Washington understands the game.
George Mitchell, of Mitchell Plan fame, is trotted out regularly by the big media to talk about his road map for negotiations. Mitchell was a key player in achieving the Good Friday Agreement for Northern Ireland peace. He emphasizes that while it was difficult, something very beneficial was finally achieved.
But as tough as it was, there was a huge difference. Only one Irish state was involved. There weren't 25 other Irish states declaring only they will be the final judge of what constitutes justice and only they will decide what represents treason to the cause of Irish Catholics.
But there are 25 Arab states, plus Iran, facing Israel. That's important because even if Yasser Arafat woke up tomorrow with an epiphany that peaceful coexistence with Israel was good for his people, he would have that outside interference. That's always been the problem. After Arafat got the magnanimous offer from Ehud Barak at Camp David, he consulted with the Egyptians and the Saudis. They said no. He did what he was told.
The other Arab states and Iran hold an effective veto. They arm, train and finance people opposed to peace and they incite hatred.
Israel talks of incitement from Arafat's media, but there are other media from the surrounding states. All his people have to do is to turn on their radios and TV for the hate. Why these other Arab states can't countenance genuine peace is something the CNNs and CBCs of the world should examine.
The fact is Israel is a square peg in a round hole in the Mideast. What makes Israel different makes Arab political and religious elites scared - very scared. The Muslim Arab states are the world's last holdouts against democracy. The fractious Jews, if anything, stand for democracy. Israelis can say anything about Sharon.
Ever see any Palestinians who say Arafat isn't doing enough to achieve peace? It's not because there aren't any, but they fear the fate of the so-called collaborators. For Muslim fundamentalists, a Jewish state in the area just isn't part of the script. It can't be. Not if Islam is supposed to be the big winner.
Remember, too, that Israel is a western society with much of the cultural decadence fundamentalists love to hate, including emancipated women. And peace would remove the scapegoat. People would start thinking about deficiencies and corruption of their regimes. Peace means Israel as legitimate example. When we see something we like in the U.S., we copy. With peace, Arab reformers might be encouraged to call for copying what they see in Israel.
Another inconvenient fact is that there are other minorities in the Middle East the self-determination fans ignore.
Real peace with Israel means Kurds, Copts, Berbers and Sudanese blacks and animists can tell Arab governments: We want equality or what the Jews have. Examining these issues provides a new matrix for looking at the problem. It helps in understanding the Saudi subterfuge of land for peace plus return of the Palestinian refugees, which equals no Israel.
The brutal reality remains that the neighbours don't want genuine peace with Israel. And they are willing to fight to the last Palestinian to achieve their goal.
Ed Feuer is a Winnipeg Sun copy editor; reach him at efeuer@wpgsun.com. Letters to the editor should be sent to editor@wpgsun.com
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
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