“Hamas does not want to take responsibility for the current disaster, and has waged an extensive continued defensive war on Egypt….” Asharq alawsat, Saudi Arabia, editor.

“May God damn them and all those who stand with them, those who support these children of monkeys and pigs (this is the favorite Salafi term for the Jewish people) in what they are doing in Palestine….” al-Watan Kuwait, Salafi columnist.

In the old days, in the fifties and sixties, the lines were clear. Secular Arab leaders came to power through coups d’etat, which they called “revolutions”. The leaders were largely secular but they were not into creating hierarchies. Nasser and Sadat of Egypt did not get rich and did not prepare their sons for power. I suspect that they even believed they were doing something good for their country. That came later, with the likes of Hafez al-Assad (Syria), Saddam Hussein al-Takriti (Iraq) and Husni Mubarak (Egypt). The leaders clearly on the make.

The Palestinians are not into clan politics, not yet. But they, like all Arabs, are as deeply trapped within the unappealing choices between kleptocratic oligarchy and Islamic fundamentalism.

Arab media report that over 350 have died so far in the Gaza assault by Israeli forces. This does not include the possible few Israelis killed by Hamas missiles. Most Arab rulers have outwardly expressed outrage at the Israeli attack on Gaza. Just as they expressed outrage at the selective bombings of the Shi’a districts of Southern Beirut in 2006. The carpet bombing of South Beirut was probably more extensive and lasted longer, complete with Israeli cluster bombs and Hezbullah missiles. The moderate tribal New Arabs, let’s call them Bush Arabs, took a few days too long to express unconvincing outrage at the Beirut bombings, hoping Israel would do their bidding and finish off the annoying pro-Iranian group. They waited for the Israeli Godot in vain, and they are not inclined to do the same this time around. Their reaction was prompt this week.

It is not clear how much heads up Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni gave the Egyptians during her visit three days ago. Yediot Ahronot is quoted by Aljazeera as reporting that Livni did in fact inform ‘some’ Arab leaders of the impending attack, which means that at least Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan knew about it. Since they did not speak out to pre-empt it, they were complicit in it.

In 2006 the oligarchs of the moderate polygamous New Middle East were clearly hoping for the Israelis to finish off Hezbullah, so that they can say “I told you so” and have their allies in Beirut pick up the pieces. Some of them are still hoping for the same in Gaza. Possibly many people in Gaza are hoping for that outcome as well.

To use a sexist metaphor: they, the Arab rulers, have been behaving like a woman under assault who screams with the lowest level of her voice “Help, rape” all the while making sure nobody could hear her. The Bush Arab leaders have called for an emergency meeting in Doha, Qatar, which could be held sometime after the battle is over. The GCC Gulf leaders are meeting this week in Muscat Oman, and have declined to postpone their summit in favor of an Arab “emergency” meeting.

On the other hand, the Palestinians seem to be good at shooting themselves in the foot, and they may have done so again in Gaza. Not that I am any fonder of the Hamas Islamist fundamentalists in Gaza than I am of the PLO-Fatah kelptocrats in Ramallah and their backers among the Bush Arab oligarchies. I detest both crazy theocrats and corrupt oligarchs, but it looks like the region will have to live with both for the foreseeable future. It is the modern tragedy of Arabia that it has no good choices: either reckless and destructive fundamentalism or corrupt and destructive oligarchy. A third option has been an alliance of both which takes the least common denominator, i.e. a combination of the worst traits of both.

mhg

m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com