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ARABIAN STATES STRUGGLE AGAINST IRAN ON BACKDROP OF GAZA CONFLICT
Head of Trend News Middle East Editor Rufiz Hafizoglu
Trend News Agency
Jan 19 2009
Azerbaijan
Although the Israeli military operations in Gaza are lasting roughly
for three weeks. International community and the Arabian states content
themselves only with official statements to prevent the conflict.
The Qatari government called an urgent meeting of the League of Arab
States (LAS) on Jan. 16 and this was the most successful step of the
Arabian countries to eliminate tragedy in Gaza Strip. However, in this
case, not all Arabians attended the summit following their proverb
"Arabians agreed never to agree". To say exactly, they boycotted
it. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are amongst the Arabian countries boycotting
the summit.
The Arabian countries which are territorially close to the conflict
participated in the summit due to own interests. President of
non-existent state Abbas attended the summit to gain Palestinians'
votes in the next presidential elections and the King of Jordan -
to prevent disarray which can arouse in the country in any time,
because 48 percent of people are the Palestinian refugees.
The countries boycotting the summit explained it with their neutral
position to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and developments in Gaza.
However, if we follow the developments very attentively, then we
can see absence of neutral countries in this conflict. All countries
including Arabian states, especially Egypt and Saudi Arabia, act in
the conflict in line with own interests.
If the Arabian countries unanimously served interests of Hamas and
Palestine during the first and second intifada of an initial stage of
the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but then they began to re-consider
their policy toward this organization, especially after capture of
Iraq by the United States.
Shias have become majority at the Iraqi parliament after sunnis'
boycotting the parliamentary elections in Iraq. This fact was an
incitement to change policy toward Hamas.
In reality, despite denial of the Arabian states, there was always
a Shia factor in the region which Iran always skillfully used.
Shias' victory in the Iraqi parliamentary elections practically
made Iraq, a buffer zone between Iran and Saudi Arabia who seeks to
manifest itself as a protector of sunnism, dependant on Iran. Even
some politicians say that Iraq is not ruled by the United States,
but by Iran. Officials of Saudi Arabia offered to place their troops
in Iraq to protect the Iraqi sunnis.
Some officials of Jordan speak about appearance of Shia halfmoon in
Middle East including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine (Hamas)
after Iraq's falling under Iran's influence. But then, in 2008 armed
conflict between local shias and forces of the government in Yemen
made traditional sunni countries think over this issue. Shia factor
plays a strong role in all countries that entered the Shia halfmoon,
excluding Palestine. This factor is very low in Palestine.
However, there is an Islamic resistance movement of Hamas in
Palestine. This movement unites shias and sunnis. This union is more
danger for Arab states, than the shia factor of Iran.
In fact, Hamas military revolution in Gaza after the victory in
parliamentary election is not by accident. Leaders of the organization
knew that neither Abbas, Israel and nor the U.S. will agree with the
results of the democratic election, and sooner or later Hamas will be
ousted from the battle field as a political rival. That's why it had
to be far from Israel and next to supporters of the Islamic resistance,
and far from the Egypt's Muslem Brothers religious society.
Muslim Brothers' reformist position, unlike other societies in Egypt,
has led to a gradual increase of its power among people that was not in
interests of the government. The victory of Hamas in the elections was
also an open message to Egypt. Egypt feared that Muslim Brothers can
come to the power, which did not have any problems with Shias. This
could further deepen the influence of Iran in the region. Therefore,
it needed to take Iran's position to preserve the power. Turning
to history, we can see that Arab states have been content merely
statements in resolving the Palestinian problem from 1967 until
now. However, unlike Arab states, Turkey expressed tough stance to
Israeli military operations in Gaza since Dec. 27. Prime Minister
Erdogan has launched trip to the Middle East for early solution of
the problem.
But the expected support from Arab states still had been made. PM
Erdogan said that Israel was committing genocide against the
Palestinians.
Israeli officials have sharply reacted to the words of
Erdogan. Assistant Foreign Minister of Israel and Deputy of Knesset
Majalli Whbee said in an interview for the Turkish press that Erdogan
called Israeli military operations in Gaza genocide. Then we'll call
Turkish actions against Armenians in 1915-1918 was genocide.
Turning to the future Turkey-Israel relations, Whbee said that Israel
hopes that Erdogan's statements on military operations in Gaza did
not harm relations between the two countries. If Turkey will continue
to be unjustly convicted of Israel, we will reconsider our relations
that existed for many years.
In fact, Turkey's image in the region and its experience in mediation
give her an opportunity to be an active mediator in resolution of
many conflicts, including the tragedy in Gaza. However, the official
Ankara fears that Israel will use "Armenian map" and will bear it.
Head of Trend News Middle East Editor Rufiz Hafizoglu
Trend News Agency
Jan 19 2009
Azerbaijan
Although the Israeli military operations in Gaza are lasting roughly
for three weeks. International community and the Arabian states content
themselves only with official statements to prevent the conflict.
The Qatari government called an urgent meeting of the League of Arab
States (LAS) on Jan. 16 and this was the most successful step of the
Arabian countries to eliminate tragedy in Gaza Strip. However, in this
case, not all Arabians attended the summit following their proverb
"Arabians agreed never to agree". To say exactly, they boycotted
it. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are amongst the Arabian countries boycotting
the summit.
The Arabian countries which are territorially close to the conflict
participated in the summit due to own interests. President of
non-existent state Abbas attended the summit to gain Palestinians'
votes in the next presidential elections and the King of Jordan -
to prevent disarray which can arouse in the country in any time,
because 48 percent of people are the Palestinian refugees.
The countries boycotting the summit explained it with their neutral
position to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and developments in Gaza.
However, if we follow the developments very attentively, then we
can see absence of neutral countries in this conflict. All countries
including Arabian states, especially Egypt and Saudi Arabia, act in
the conflict in line with own interests.
If the Arabian countries unanimously served interests of Hamas and
Palestine during the first and second intifada of an initial stage of
the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but then they began to re-consider
their policy toward this organization, especially after capture of
Iraq by the United States.
Shias have become majority at the Iraqi parliament after sunnis'
boycotting the parliamentary elections in Iraq. This fact was an
incitement to change policy toward Hamas.
In reality, despite denial of the Arabian states, there was always
a Shia factor in the region which Iran always skillfully used.
Shias' victory in the Iraqi parliamentary elections practically
made Iraq, a buffer zone between Iran and Saudi Arabia who seeks to
manifest itself as a protector of sunnism, dependant on Iran. Even
some politicians say that Iraq is not ruled by the United States,
but by Iran. Officials of Saudi Arabia offered to place their troops
in Iraq to protect the Iraqi sunnis.
Some officials of Jordan speak about appearance of Shia halfmoon in
Middle East including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine (Hamas)
after Iraq's falling under Iran's influence. But then, in 2008 armed
conflict between local shias and forces of the government in Yemen
made traditional sunni countries think over this issue. Shia factor
plays a strong role in all countries that entered the Shia halfmoon,
excluding Palestine. This factor is very low in Palestine.
However, there is an Islamic resistance movement of Hamas in
Palestine. This movement unites shias and sunnis. This union is more
danger for Arab states, than the shia factor of Iran.
In fact, Hamas military revolution in Gaza after the victory in
parliamentary election is not by accident. Leaders of the organization
knew that neither Abbas, Israel and nor the U.S. will agree with the
results of the democratic election, and sooner or later Hamas will be
ousted from the battle field as a political rival. That's why it had
to be far from Israel and next to supporters of the Islamic resistance,
and far from the Egypt's Muslem Brothers religious society.
Muslim Brothers' reformist position, unlike other societies in Egypt,
has led to a gradual increase of its power among people that was not in
interests of the government. The victory of Hamas in the elections was
also an open message to Egypt. Egypt feared that Muslim Brothers can
come to the power, which did not have any problems with Shias. This
could further deepen the influence of Iran in the region. Therefore,
it needed to take Iran's position to preserve the power. Turning
to history, we can see that Arab states have been content merely
statements in resolving the Palestinian problem from 1967 until
now. However, unlike Arab states, Turkey expressed tough stance to
Israeli military operations in Gaza since Dec. 27. Prime Minister
Erdogan has launched trip to the Middle East for early solution of
the problem.
But the expected support from Arab states still had been made. PM
Erdogan said that Israel was committing genocide against the
Palestinians.
Israeli officials have sharply reacted to the words of
Erdogan. Assistant Foreign Minister of Israel and Deputy of Knesset
Majalli Whbee said in an interview for the Turkish press that Erdogan
called Israeli military operations in Gaza genocide. Then we'll call
Turkish actions against Armenians in 1915-1918 was genocide.
Turning to the future Turkey-Israel relations, Whbee said that Israel
hopes that Erdogan's statements on military operations in Gaza did
not harm relations between the two countries. If Turkey will continue
to be unjustly convicted of Israel, we will reconsider our relations
that existed for many years.
In fact, Turkey's image in the region and its experience in mediation
give her an opportunity to be an active mediator in resolution of
many conflicts, including the tragedy in Gaza. However, the official
Ankara fears that Israel will use "Armenian map" and will bear it.