Arab Regimes Blame Hezbollah For Escalations

Israel has gotten a green light for its military response to the abduction of several of its soldiers from more than just the United States. Arab governments too have been notably silent as the crisis in the Middle East grows.

Far more surprising than U.S. statements of support for Israel’s assault on Gaza and Lebanon are similar proclamations from Arab governments. Just before the Israeli cabinet gave Prime Minister Olmert the green light for more attacks, a spokesperson for the Saudi government called for Israeli restraint, but blamed the current conflict on Hezbollah’s seizure of two Israeli soldiers. “There is a difference between legitimate resistance and miscalculated adventures,” he stated.

The official for the Saudi Ministry of Information hit hard on Islamic resistance groups in Lebanon and Gaza. Those groups, he said, should “bear the consequences of the crisis they have created.”

Meanwhile, both King Abdullah II of Jordan and President Mubarak of Egypt warned that Hezbollah is dragging the Arab world into conflict through its misguided gambles and adventures. The majority of Arab regimes has been silent about Israel’s new two-front war. Their foreign ministers to the Arab League will not meet to discuss the crisis until July 15, three days after the start of Israeli air attacks and time enough for Israel to completely destroy Lebanon’s infrastructure.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon or Gaza are not something new; nor are prisoner exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel. To date, there have been three prisoner exchange deals between Israel and Hezbollah (July 1996, June 1998 and January 2004) and several prisoner swaps between Israel and the PLO. The most famous swap was in May 1985, when in exchange for three Israeli soldiers held by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Israel released 1,150 Palestinian political prisoners. So why the overblown Israeli reaction to the capture of several Israeli soldiers, and the Arab silence this time?

In a new strategy shift, the dependence of Palestinians and Lebanese on Arab regimes to confront and contain Israel politically and militarily has ended. Militant groups from Palestine to Iraq — groups known in the Arab world as the Islamic Resistance and as “terrorists organizations” by Israel and many Western countries — have been taking matters into their own hands. Arab masses have long realized the powerlessness of their leaders to end the conflict in Iraq or alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians. People throughout the Middle East remember the failed mediation attempts by King Abdullah II of Jordan and President Mubarak of Egypt to lift the September 2002 siege on Yasir Arafat. Arafat remained a prisoner in his compound until few days before his death on November 11, 2004, when he was air-lifted to a military hospital in France only after French President Jacques Chirac intervened.

At the same time, as Arab regimes’ influence over organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah has waned, Israel has lost a kind of buffer zone. Unlike the PLO in the past, neither Hamas nor Hezbollah is dependent on Arab state support. Syria’s influence over Hezbollah takes second place to that of Iran.

Hence, the Israeli government is very concerned that any success achieved by Hamas or Hezbollah will open the way for more groups — perhaps even Al Qaeda — to fight Israel or terrorize Israelis.

Arab regimes are very concerned as well. The aftershocks left by the elections in Gaza are still felt beneath the seats of monarchs and leaders stretching from Riyadh to Rabat. Many Arab rulers are threatened by democracy and the rise of Islamism in the region. In Gaza, they are challenged by a democratically elected Islamist government, Hamas. In Egypt, the challenge comes from the Islamic Brotherhood, and in Lebanon, from Hezbollah, commonly referred to as a “state within a state.”

Away from the sectarian violence that has plagued Iraq, Hamas (a Sunni organization) and Hezbollah (Shiite) have found themselves on the same front, fighting a battle for their survival. The survival of each is dependant on the other. Similarly, Arab regimes and Israel have forged an undeclared alliance to rid themselves of the growing menace in the region, “popular Islamist movements.” Israel is doing the bombing and destruction, while Arab regimes quietly cheer on the sidelines.

Today, on Al-Manar Television in Beirut, Hassan Nassrallah, the Secretary General of Hezbollah, answered the Saudis and others and said, “As for the Arab rulers, I will not ask you about your history. Just a brief word, we are adventurers…We never bet on you, we always bet on God.”

Did the Arab rulers bet on Israel? Did Hezbollah and Hamas miscalculate? The coming days should tell.


Related Topics:



 



BEIRUT’S SHIITE AREAS, MILITANT BASE BLASTED
San Francisco Chronicle – CA, USA
Israel’s Islamist Enemies
Beliefnet.com – New York,NY,USA
Arab Regimes Back Israel’s Attacks on Islamist Groups
New California Media – San Francisco,CA,USA


The Palestinians’ strength is in their collective aspiration
Daily Star – Lebanon – Beirut,Lebanon
Russia is Ready to Release the Israeli Captives of Hezbollah
Axis News – USA


 Crisis seen as chance to reshape Mideast
Boston Globe – United States
Israel threatens to eliminate Hezbollah leader
MEO
Aggression Under False Pretenses
Ikhwanweb, London-US
Haneyya Offers Peaceful Initiative To Stop IOF Atrocities
Ikhwanweb, London-US








































Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah: “You wanted an open war. You will get an open war”
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
Hizbullah `air power` first flew in 2004, Nasrallah: “Look at “Israeli” navy vessel off Lebanon burning
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
“Israel” failed in assassinating Hizbullah Secretary General Nasrallah, Eight “Israeli” soldiers and two settlers killed, with 90 settlers wounded
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
Syria backs Hizbullah in confronting “Israel`s” continued aggressions, “Israel” targets civilians
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
“Israel’s” monstrous legacy brings tumult on itself, Hizbullah fire more than 150 rockets toward “Israeli” settlements
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
Death toll in onslaught mounts as “Israel’s” `barbaric` attacks continue, Army troops, Medics scramble to supply southern villages
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
4 “Israeli” servicemen still missing after Navy ship was hit by Hizbullah
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
Ahmadinejad, Lahoud stress unity
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
Ahmadinejad any aggression against Syria means aggression against the world of Islam
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
Ahmadinejad: Zionist invasion of Lebanon encroachment on regional nations
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
Ayatollah Kashani urges Muslims, oppressed to support Lebanese resistance
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
Tehrani worshipers condemns Zionists` recent atrocities
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
Global Assembly condemns Zionist regime crimes
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
Doueir Massacre: Southern village mourns family of 12, `Is This how Ehud Olmert takes his revenge?`
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
“Israeli” aggression: Airport attacks, coastal blockade cut Lebanon off from world
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
Cabinet condemns attacks, calls for unity after 3 heated sessions
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
“Israeli” massacres: 50 more civilians die including more than 15 children, 100 people wounded
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
Raids destroy 18 bridges, target key highways
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon
Villages of South bear brunt of onslaught, Hospitals have enough supplies for 10-12 days
Moqawamaq, Beirut-Lebanon