Golden Opportunity: Arab world fed up with Hizbullah
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(Cross posted at Daily Kos)
With the exception of the Palestinians, the Arab world appears to be united in blaming Iran and Syria for the fighting in Lebanon. Until last week, Arab political analysts and government officials were reluctant to criticize Hizbullah in public. But now that Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and his top aides are in hiding, an anti-Hizbullah coalition is emerging not only in Lebanon, but in several other Arab countries as well.
The countries he is talking about — Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia — could be the core of a negotiated settlement in the region.
If I were in charge of US foreign policy, or at least in charge of Democratic talking points, I’d be proposing that those three countries stand with the US, Israel and Lebanon on common ground that is summarized by these elements:
- Strengthen and support Lebanon’s efforts to grow democracy.
In addition to helping Lebanon rebuild, help them isolate and disarm Hizbullah according to UN Resolution 1559. - Affirm Israel’s right to exist as well as the right to self-defense and self-determination.
In addition, acknowledge that Israel’s war against Lebanon is not America’s war. Nor is it the undercard to the main bout of America vs. Iran. It is not the beginning of World War III, so sit down and shut up New Gingrich. - Slow down US arms sales to Israel.
In return for the coalition’s support of Israel and its help in destroying Hizbullah, Israel agrees to stand down from her wholesale destruction of Lebanon. - Open talks with Iran and Syria.
Iran: Hizbullah is no longer an effective proxy for your regional ambitions; deal with it. Syria: When Lebanon threw you out, they meant it. - Use the example of Lebanon to resolve the situation between Fatah and Hamas.
The Palestinians must agree that any faction dedicated to the destruction of Israel has no place in the region. In return for signing a peace treaty (not a truce, not a cease-fire) with Israel, the nation of Palestine gets fast-tracked.Oh, and one more thing: since this will never happen as long as Condi Rice and George W. Bush are in control, the Democrats should make this part of their talking points going into the November elections.
You know that proclaimations from the dictatorial governments of two US-allied Arab states is not necessarily the “Arab world,” right?
From Abu Aardvark:
dpu:
proclaimations from the dictatorial governments of two US-allied Arab states
Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
P.S. You ought to include another passage from AA’s post:
The only power that can bring everyone together is the US. The only power that can convince everyone to give a little to get a lot is the US.
That’s my point.
Hey guys, (you too Wince, I know you’re lurking out there somewhere), I came across this piece on a ONE-State solution.
There are massive, moon-sized holes in the idea, and it smacks a bit of anti-semitism — but as a starting point for out-of-the box thinking I was wondering what y’all’s take on it would be.
It’s the only thing I’ve seen that doesn’t ignore Wince’s demographic problem.
Here’s what I think is wrong with the plan:
I knew you could “nutshell” it down for me. Just saying it’s way too complicated saved me from the thousand word fisking that’s been making my fingers twitch.
Complicated and fragile sums it up. Too many variables.
How about a simpler 1-State solution. Israel tells the rest of the region to F-Off!
It seems to have worked for the last sixty years.
Unfortunately, the rest of the region has never wanted a Jewish entity, let alone an independent nation, in their backyard. Oh, there have been all sorts of reasons given for this, down through the decades.
But I think the real reason is apparent.
Jebus. Only the local politics is complicated and US leadership won’t resolve it because no US leadership will confront the Zionist lobby in America – shamefully, not even Democratic leadership. That leaves Israel’s self-serving, paranoid and hate-filled leadership to continue to undermine Israel and the US with aggressive militarism.
One more time from the non-Israelioamerican bias: Israel must stop killing noncombatants, destroying civilian infrastructure and she must give up territory she acquired through military aggression. Israel might want to even consider a few acts of contrition, even magnanimity, like promising to help rebuild Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza, since she will want concessions on right-of-return, Jerusalem and other issues. Then and only then can we judge whether Israel is a victim of anti-Semitism or mostly legitimate blowback from its own egregious conduct.
Or we can just sit back, condemn leaders outside the axis-of-Israel for calling a war crime a war crime, and watch the world go up in flames. I tell you, Israel cannot build an impenetrable barrier around herself and some day, someone – perhaps a relative of one of the thousands of innocent victims of her violence – will carry something into her heart that will, actually, wipe her off the map. Our failure to force her to restrict her aggression scrupulously to her attackers and sue for peace with those who will accept her peaceful and just co-existence only helps propel Israel toward a violent and uncertain future.
Well, you know where I stand.
In order to solve this thing, everybody has to get something that they think is equal to or greater in value than what they are giving up in return.
The talking points in this post are a pretty realistic approach to getting that done.
The reason they are “realistic” is because they ask nothing of Israel. That’s outrageous
Israel is and has been doing wrong to innocent people for forty years. It is her act of compromise that must be the first step in any reconciliation.
Yes. Well. I can see how you’d feel that way.
“I’ll trust you if you trust me first.”
Maybe that’ll happen; maybe Israel will find that the war isn’t providing them with the leverage they need to get 1559 implemented (which I presume is the reason why they are bombarding Lebanon).
But if Israel keeps going, what do you suggest is a way out of this mess?
It’s not just me who feels that way, Ara. It’s pretty much everyone outside Israel and the US. Right or wrong, that fact itself is an important reality.
Personally, I’m despairing of much chance for any improvement of the situation, near or long term. Not that I think that Israel couldn’t unilaterally change the reality on the ground to her, and our, and the Palestinians’ advantage. There’s just no political will to do so, at least among those who control the levers of power. And they are all mad.
It’s not just me who feels that way, Ara. It’s pretty much everyone outside Israel and the US. Right or wrong, that fact itself is an important reality.
Jews have always been in the minority in more than one. Nothing new here.
There’s just no political will to do so, at least among those who control the levers of power. And they are all mad.
Don’t know about Bush, but the Jews are not mad — just afraid.
Fear and madness are far from mutually exclusive, they are close cousins. In any event, what Israeli political and military leaders have chosen is pure insanity.
I would also point out that most of the civilized world thought enough of the Jews to take a big gamble on them in the ME. All I see at the moment is snake eyes.
All analysis aside, I’m terrified by this recent proclaimation:
I have a coworker whose family is trapped in Southern Lebanon right now, along with a considerable number of other refugees. It’s horrifying to read that they are now considered complicit in terrorism.