Writing for the National Post, veteran Canadian journalist Robert Fulford has noticed something interesting about the uprisings sweeping the Arab world: “In this widespread Arab movement, the most surprising role has been played by Israel, which has played no role at all. That’s the reverse of what the world media, the academics and the diplomats have taught us to anticipate.” Time will tell whether this conspicuous lack of a role for the Jewish state is of broad significance for the region.
Sunday, February 27, 2011, 8:00 AM
February 27th, 2011 | 9:48 am | #1
Not sure why you posted this. One of the big problems here in the US, is that we do not understand the Middle East. The reason why we were friendly to those despotic regimes is because they were more likely to be friendly to Israel. Our policies in the ME are Israel centric. Don’t fool yourself that democracy is going to mean friendliness to Israel. In fact Israel is a bad example of what democracy should like. All the fears of a Sunni Shiite clash and an oppression of a powerful are happening in Israel now. If the Arabs become truly democratic, then this will not be good for Israel. They will have to make peace and not just empty words.
February 27th, 2011 | 2:34 pm | #2
With all due respect to the author of that article, it was one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read. With regard to Israel, it argued for two contradictory views:
1) The Arab nation uprisings are going to have terrible results for Israel, since the Egyptian one in particular threatens the peace agreement.
2) Israel (especially with regard to Palestine) is not an issue for Arab people, so the arrival of democracy shouldn’t be related to Israel at all.
Not to mention the ignorant view that Mubarak benefited from Islamic extremism, whereas in reality he feared it and did everything he could to keep it under control.
I did, however, learn that Robert Fulford blindly disdains Western left-liberals and Arab Muslims, so I can’t say I didn’t learn anything at all.
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