May 1, 2022
"STABILITY" IS THE DENIAL OF DEMOCRACY:
Unresolved Palestinian issue remains a major source of Mideast tension (Shireen Hunter, 5/01/22, Responsible Statecraft)
The eruption of renewed violence between mainly peaceful Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli military and police culminating during the simultaneous celebrations of Easter, Passover, and Ramadan in and around East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque has once again reminded the world that the decades-old conflict has not gone away. The Israeli bombing of Gaza in response to rocket fire from the embargoed enclave only highlighted the conflict's persistent relevance.The recent clashes, in which many more Palestinians than Israelis were killed or injured, triggered mildly angry responses from some Arab and Palestinian leaders, including King Abdullah of Jordan and Mahmoud Abbas, the aging president of the Palestinian Authority. Abdullah asked Israel to stop what he called "all illegal and provocative actions," while the Arab League and even Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates condemned Israel's raid on the mosque, as did Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan despite his recent efforts to improve relations with Israel. Other observers warned of another Palestinian intifada.The latest events in Palestine expose the fragility of recent gains in normalizing Arab-Israeli relations. If the current tensions devolve into greater violence, then those Arab states that have normalized relations with Israel could feel pressure to reverse course, while those that are already quietly cooperating with Israel, notably Saudi Arabia, may reconsider.
Which misunderstands the entire basis of that co-operation: you oppress your Arabs and I won't say anything as long as I can oppress mine.
Posted by Orrin Judd at May 1, 2022 12:00 AM