Richard D. Molfese
The Palestinian Conflict: Brought to you by the Arab League.
The term unite is to put together to form a single unit. That “unity” is
the quality or state of being made one: Unification is the resulting singleness
of effect or symmetry and consistency of style and character (Merriam-Webster
online).
The Arab League is not a union of Arab States working for unification toward
Arab solidarity or peace. It is rather a fragmented group of power, status
and wealth seekers trying to keep what they have and dumbing down their neighbors.
Since 1947, these statesmen are always vying to elevate themselves in the
eyes
of the Arab people, while they negotiate with Western and Soviet governments
secretly for economic gains.
These Arab leaders have created obstacles in their unification process for
their personal gain. So they do not care that their talk is cheapened
when, as states, they show their elitism
against their neighbors, or when they flaunt their wealth on poor nations.
The reigning Monarchs and Arab leaders claim their intellect and birthright
justifies their
positions as leaders.
I am not writing about the many injustices that have occurred to the Arab
people. I will not coddle the Arabs and say they are poor, unintelligent
people. That
would not be a true statement. I want to point out that the Middle East Arabs
and their descendants, in the history of the world, were considered teachers
and scholars who taught the world many things.
In fact although the Arabs never fully realized
their renaissance, their achievements in navigation
and medicine,
brought the world out of the dark ages.
I will attempt to explore the history of the Arabs and many of the obstacles,
that I see, as self inflicted. I will offer an amateur solution to discord
in the Middle East. I will
focus on the Palestinians, who I believe they are made to bleed
to keep all Arabs
consciously united through their pain, while the Arab leaders keep the people’s
focus away from what they do. I see the parallel of the American Indian and
their reservation
lands they were shipped off to, as the Palestinian refugee camps are walled
prisons for an indigenous people.
I would mention the Kurds also, but they have
somehow denied the partitioning of outside influences, and have grown. Though
they
are still without a real bordered homeland they do have much land in which
they can roam freely. I try to understand why America is looked
at as the
real evil and make suggestions of the future of the Middle East and peace.
Reasons
The Arab League is fragmented by the boundaries and agendas, of their individual
state mentality. The Arabs talk of peace and unity but negotiate alone. It
is this individuality that prevents the Arab League from being cohesive
and standing as
one voice. Furthermore, the Arab League states align themselves with the
United States or Russia either for monetary gain, status or power usually
undermining
the Arab position. The Arabs themselves place economic and social barriers
between their people. The haves, do not want to give, to the have nots. Further
separation
occurs in the Arab community, from intellectual superiority, money, degrees
in devotion to Islam and history of the people themselves. Yes, even in Islam
racism
does exist. To try and understand the vast differences we must look at the
geography of the Middle East.
The Land
Arab lands are vast and range some 5,000 miles and encompass some 5.25 million
square miles. The lands border on the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea,
the Arabian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the
Indian Ocean. The Arab territory in Africa is 72% with the remaining 28%
in Asia. While
the region is dominated by dry climatic conditions, it is the natural land
bridge from Asia to Africa and to Indonesia. The Arabs have enjoyed so many
different
cultures mingled into their past, their minds are torn between the individual
state they are, and the Arab unity for which they long to have. Contrary
to popular belief, relatively few Arab countries possess petroleum and natural
gas resources.
They are mainly agricultural and have other natural resources: including
iron-ore, lead, phosphate, cobalt and manganese. These stats were on
the Middle East New web site. The harshness of the desert and
the oppressive heat has kept development of the Middle East down and to a
minimum. Water is a scarce resource and
well regulated
by governments. The Middle East is a gate way three continents and largely
desert and barren rock. The temperature swings can range from 32 degrees
at night to
130 degrees with a 12 hour period. The climate drives the people, restricting
activities by day, slowing the region and the people down. 
The History
The Arabs are an old people, with a rich past. It is the complex nature of
their past which keeps the Arabs on different agendas, and a willingness
to negotiate
separately. The Middle East is where man first organized into a settled form
of society, cultivating grain and raising livestock, establishing cities
and promoting diverse skills and occupations. The Middle East is where the
rich and
complex cultures of ancient Egypt, Sumer, Assyria, Babylonia and Phoenicia
civilizations began and flourished. The Arabic language developed during
this time and spread
through the centuries, until, the appearance of Islam. This is where the
language acquired the form in which it is known today. Arab poets of the
pre-Islamic,
or Jahiliyyah period, had developed a language of amazing richness and flexibility,
despite the fact that many were desert bedouins (nomads) with little or no
formal education. For the most part, their poetry was transmitted and preserved
orally
throughout the Middle East. The Arabic language was then, as it is now, easily
capable of creating new words and terminology in order to adapt to the demands
of new scientific and artistic discoveries. The civilizations that thrived
in the Middle East brought to the world discoveries about the human body
and how
blood flows. The study of Astronomy was improved and many heavenly bodies
were attributed to the Arab Astronomers. The Arabs taught the world to navigate
by
using the stars. The Arabs were very religious but progressive in their studies.
Unfortunately they were never to realize their renaissance and be credited
with their discoveries. The Ottoman Empire would bring on a new era to the
Arabs.
The History of Mistrust
The Middle East trauma during the 20th century can be traced back to the
events surrounding World War 1. At that time several changes in the Ottoman
Empire’s
rule of the Middle East occurred. It was shortly after the Young Turk coup
of 1908, that the Ottoman Empire abandoned their pluralistic and pan Islamic
policies.
The Ottoman Empire started to follow a policy of secular Turkish nationalism.
The formerly cosmopolitan and tolerant Ottoman Empire began to blatantly
discriminate against non-Turkish inhabitants. Arabs in particular were faced
with political,
cultural and linguistic persecution. During this time, Arab nationalistic
groups in Syria, Iraq and Arabia began to rally behind the Hashemite banner
of Abdullah
and Faisal; sons of Sharif Hussein bin Ali, King of the Arabs. It was Sharif
Hussein bin Ali dream, to establish a unified Arab state, stretching from
Aleppo (Syria) to Aden (Yemen). The state would be founded on the ancient
traditions
and culture of the Arab people upholding of Islamic ideals and full protection
and inclusion of ethnic and religious minorities. The Arabs saw their opportunity
when the Ottoman Empire sided with the Central Powers against the Allies.
Sharif Hussein bin Ali started the Great Arab Revolt, trusting British Officials
who
promised to support a unified kingdom for the Arabs. The Arabs were not to
get their independent and unified state. The British made conflicting promises
with
their wartime Allies. The French, Russians and British all had their own
agendas and parceled out the land. Further complications arose when Lord
Rothschild,
called Britain to support a Jewish home in Palestine. The Balfour Declaration
was considered by Arabs as a deceitful move by Britain to steal Palestine
away. (The Royal Hashemite Court, “Jordan History – The Great Arab Revolt.”)
I associate the episode in the history of the Middle East to the French,
English and the new American’s treatment of the Native American. The
great powers of the time negotiated treaties with Native Americans, which
they had no intention
of honoring. Nor, could the Arabs or Indian, see the deceit, in the men,
they were dealing with. The land belonged to, or was apart of the larger
tribe; usually
the people on the land were sub tribes, either conquered by, or under the
protection of a greater tribe. The similarities are in that the Arabs and
Native Americans
were treated as inferior and so treaties made with them could be broken.
Even though some Arab leaders of the day had the foresight to see the worldview,
the
ruling powers used them and then discounted them. The grand picture of the
world powers was to control trade with India and Africa, so the Middle East
was the
grand passage they could not let go. So, the English, French and Russians
did not trust the Arabs to govern themselves and wanted to divide them so
they could
never pose a significant threat to trade routes. The common thread was Arab
belief and Islam which kept a loose confederacy to apply pressure against
the occupiers.
Islamic History and Law
The Middle East was also the birth place of the three great monotheistic
religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The followers of those
faiths lived in harmony throughout the centuries in the same land; each
considered themselves the people of one God. The Arabic term Islam literally
means "surrender," or "submission." Islam's believers,
accept surrender to the will of Allah. Allah is viewed as a unique God--creator,
sustainer, and restorer of the world. Muhammad, it is claimed, was the
last of the great prophets which included Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus and
some others. The basic belief of Islam is expressed in the shahadah,
the Muslim confession of faith, "There is no god but God; Muhammad
is the prophet of God." The Islamic doctrine of God, expressed in
the Qur'an is rigorously monotheistic: God is one and unique; he has
no partner or equal. Muslims believe although Allah's presence is everywhere,
he does not imbue into anything or anyone. He is the sole Creator, and
sustainer of the universe, wherein every creature knows his lordship
and unity. According to the Qur'an, God created two apparently parallel
species, man and jinn. Man was created from clay and the jinn were created
from fire. The jinn are endowed with reason and responsibility but are
more prone to evil than man. The Qur'an is primarily directed at man,
and is self described as the guide for the human race. Despite man's
lofty position, the Qur'an describes human nature as frail and faltering,
a view share by the two other religions. Man is viewed as rebellious,
arrogant and full of pride. The cardinal sin of man, is mans likeness
in aspiring to God and thereby violating the unity of God. True faith
(identified as iman), consists of belief in the immaculate Divine Unity
and Islam is in one's submission to the Divine will. There are three
different sects that follow, to different degrees; Islam thought their
basic beliefs are the same.
Religious Disunity
The Kharijis sect believed that the basis of rule was righteous character
and piety, any Muslim, irrespective of race creed or color could become ruler,
provided he or she satisfies the conditions of piety. This is in contrast
to the claims of the Shi'ah that the ruler must belong to the family of the
Prophet, and in contrast to the Sunnis that the head of state must belong
to the Prophet's tribe. Sunni political theory is essentially a product of
circumstance-an after-the-fact rationalization of historical developments.
So, between the Shi'ah legitimism that restricts rule to Ali's family, and
the Kharji democratic beliefs, Sunnis holds to the position that the rule
belongs to the Quraysh (the Prophet's tribe), the condition that actually
existed. The Sunni sect embraces the principle of toleration, making it possible
for diverse sects to recognize and coexist with one another. Sunni theologians
place emphasis on divine omnipotence at the expense of the freedom and efficacy
of the human will. The Sunnites support the concept that "Muslims must
obey even a tyrannical ruler." While the Islamic community throughout
the world is united by the two essential beliefs in (1) the Oneness of God
and (2) the divine mission of His Prophet, there developed shortly after
Muhammad's death a debate within the Islamic community over who should succeed
the Prophet as leader of the faithful. This debate split the community into
Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims. It is important to remember, however, that on
fundamental issues, Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims are in basic agreement since
they both draw on the Qur'an and the Shari'ah, body of Islamic Law. Even
in their religious views they have unique sects that further fracture, an
Arab unity.
Islamic Law and Reform
The Law covered the vast range of the Middle East and held in check all the
tribes that roamed within, for centuries. Islamic Law (Shari’a) is
swift, brutal and severe, is considered barbaric by Westerns. The inequality
toward women has been a catalyst for, the world to request reforms be made
to Islamic Law. During the early 20th century, the Western powers came in
and brought their form of government and punishment the degrees of Shari’a
followed have changed. Today, Arabs are split between following the Shari’a
as it has been for centuries and reforming it to reduce the harshness. The
Arabs
are worried
that if there
is a change to Shari’a it will become slow and ineffective, as they
perceive Western Law to be. Though Arabs would want Shari’a, without
the harsh barbaric punishment, i.e. stoning, beheading etc., to be their
law, there is still a separation in the degrees of Shari’a adherence
within the Arab world. Scholars are trying to reform Shari’a to use
more modern techniques in judgment of wrongdoing, such as DNA testing. The
Arab states that follow British and French common law and those that wish
to keep the Shari’a in its original form add to the separation of the
Arab peoples. Wahbabism: which is the extreme form of Islam is practiced
in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria further threatens the stability of the region,
through intolerance for other beliefs.
The Arab League
Since the creation of the Arab states from 1909 to the present, the Arab
Leaders have always been guided by their own national agenda. They have rarely
remained cohesive and usually fight among themselves. The Arabs are distracted
from a focused unity because of their separate agreements. The Arab League
of Nations created in 1945, was a compromise that recognized the sovereignty
of each Arab state. In 1945, the Arabs had put forth many proposals for a
unification plan: “Fertile Crescent Unity,” “Greater Syria,” and “the
Arab Federation.” these plans were not to survive. It was the Arab
League’s promise to help its member nations but none would sacrifice
their prerogatives of sovereignty, which the Arab League charter upheld.
Article 8 of the charter upheld the principle of non-intervention: “Each
member state shall respect the systems of governments established in the
other member state and regard them as the exclusive concern of those states.
Each shall pledge to abstain from any action calculated to change established
systems of government. (12)” This portion of the Arab’s League
charter, which embodies 20 Articles and 3 annexed provisions, points to its
greatest weakness. The Arab state can justify its actions to advance its
own ambitions under the greater Arab cause. Presently, there are 22 states
in the Arab League. The Arabs are further fragmented by their separate agreements
with each other. The United Arab Republic which was a political union of
Egypt and Syria formed in 1958 and lasted until 1971. This agreement was
the initial step toward creating a pan-Arab union, the republic abolished
Syrian and Egyptian citizenship. The Arabs were to live in “Arab Territory”.
The Arab Maghreb Union was established in 1989 to promote cooperation between
and integration among the Arab states of North Africa. The cohesion of the
Arabs is ever fractured by their constant search for commitment between each
other.
The Palestinian Issue
The Arabs are searching for a binding coalition to unite them as a nation,
and the Palestinians have been used to keep the memory alive. My belief is
that the Israeli and Palestinian conflict was a joint debacle in which Syria,
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Britain and France all played a major role. The subjugation
of the Palestinians by Arabs was far more damaging and demeaning in the worldview
then what the Israelis have done. After Britain, France and Russia split
the Middle East, the Palestinians who had settled all over the land, were
separated. Their lands were diminished and now called by other names. “The
land called Israel and Palestine is a small, (10,000 square miles at present)
land at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. During its long history,
its area, population and ownership varied greatly. The present state of Israel
formally occupies all the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean
ocean, bounded by Egypt in the south, Lebanon in the north, with Syria (larger
border area) and Jordan in the East. The recognized borders of Israel constitute
about 78% of the land. The remainder is divided between land occupied by
Israel since the 1967, 6-day war and the autonomous regions under the control
of the Palestinian autonomy. The Gaza strip occupies an additional 141 square
miles south of Israel along the sea coast, and is mostly under the control
of the Palestinian authority with small areas occupied by Israeli settlements(9).” Similarly
the Native Americans found boundaries where none were before. Both the Palestinians
and Native Americans believed that they were members in their respective
communities. The Palestinians and Native Americans were angered, but did
not mass in numbers, and so were dismissed as people who would fight for
their lands. The lands where they settled were still theirs, or so they thought.
Since the Palestinians were a roaming population, and they had had the largest
free range. The Palestinian people had no leadership and were not organized
as other Arab “states” was. They had worked side by side with
Arabs and Jews alike, for generations. Now the Palestinians were to be partitioned
off by their own people. “The Arab League, at the instigation of Haj
Amin Al-Husseini, declared a war to rid Palestine of the Jews. In fact however,
the Arab countries each had separate agendas. Abdullah, king of Jordan, had
an informal and secret agreement with Israel, negotiated with Golda Meir,
to annex the portions of Palestine allocated to the Palestinian state in
the West Bank, and prevent formation of a Palestinian state. Syria wanted
to annex the northern part of Palestine, including Jewish and Arab areas.
(9).” In my opinion the Arab handling of the Palestinian plight caused
more people to look away for such a long period of time.
Westerners and Americans are Devils
Why have the Arabs taken to a kind of Marxism that denounces Western
capitalism and America as the most dangerous to their well being?
What has America done to earn the Arab’s hatred? The Arabs have found
it easy to believe that we have no morals and that we are imperialists. Yet
our history shows that we have never been aggressive to the Middle East.
The Russians ravaged Afghanistan for years, and have been looked at as allies,
by the Arabs. The British, French and Italians have all controlled areas
of the Middle East, yet they are looked at in a different light, evil but
not as evil as America. In 1947, the partitioning of the Middle East was
the master plan of the United Nations, the major powers were France, Germany
and Russia. The announcement of the Israeli state brought immediate and swift
Arab response. Five Arab states launched an attack. America stayed away,
and Israel was saved by the Russians, who supplied the weapons that helped
Israel beat off the attack. The fledgling Israeli State not only beat the
invaders back, but took over land, the West Bank from Jordan and the Gaza
Stripe from Saudi Arabia. In 1956 it was America that intervened forcefully
to secure the withdrawal of Israel, British and French forces from Egypt.
The Americans opened their country to Arabs for schooling, to live and we
gave assistance to the Middle East. Yet the Middle East purchased weapons
from Russia and continually denounced America.
The hatred of America is borne from our many religious beliefs; American
ideology is evil, wasteful and godless. Any incident around the world can
spark a protest in Middle Eastern country, weather or not, America had anything
to do with the incident. The anger will be pointed at American Businesses
or American Consulates. I believe that religion plays the major part in America’s
portrayal as the aggressor in the Middle East. Our freedoms threaten the
Arab way of life and the control he has over his destiny.
America is hated because it can buy into the Arab States and then dictate
our human rights and freedoms to those peoples. We can introduce sanctions
and policy to States that want their own autonomy. America looke to change
what has been old and they want it done quickly. America does add obstacles
to the unity and the Arab dream of autonomy. America must tread gently in
the Middle East, suggest rather than force and build understanding rather
than division. The Arabs are not quick to change and look for long enduring
processes for peace. The Middle East is not fast food or 4 years terms, it
will take a generation to gain trust, once the process starts. American must
help without adding to the disunity of the Middle East.
Disunity
The Arab world can not find a common ground under which to unite. The Arabs
look for binding issues to unify them and want to model their union after
the European Union. One rallying point for them has been the Israeli/Palestinian
conflict, however, history and circumstances indicate that Arab disunity,
and in-fighting are contributing factors to the Palestinian situation. Will
the Arab League realize a unity and lasting peace, and settle the Palestinian
conflict within the framework of the Arab League? The Arabs are separated
from one another by their leaders, their beliefs and their states. They have
to overcome these separations, internal to their pan-Arab community in order
to thrive. Still, there is a separation that transcends the Arab community
and separates them from the rest of the world. The Arabs have been nocturnal
people because of the heat of the day. Their eyes were filed with stars and
they traveled in the cool of the night. They were intimate with the night
sky and became great navigators. From the date of Muhammad's flight, called
the hijrah, Muslims begin their calendar---AH (Anno Hegirae) 287 is the same
as AD (Anno Domini) 900. Their calendar, more accurate, was based on the
moon and the stars. The Arabs have a space and time separation from the rest
of the non-Arab world, due to their climate and religious beliefs. They have
negotiated separately, looking to better their tribe, but not the entire
Arab community. Arab time is different form the rest of the world in that
their
priorities are different from Non – Arabs. If they are Muslim this
adds to the distance between non-Arabs and Arabs. Arabs view life and war
differently; the Middle East has a cultural history of waging war without
major battles. “In contrast to the usual manner of European warfare,
which he terms “face to face,” Keegan depicts the early Arab
armies in the Islamic era as masters of evasion, delay, and indirection.
Examining Arab warfare in this century leads to the conclusion that the Arabs
remain more successful in insurgent, or political, warfare – what T.E.
Lawrence termed “winning wars without battles.” The Arabs foster
insurrection by aiding in the Palestinian conflict. They have kicked out
the Palestinians and taken their lands throughout the Middle East. The Arabs
are pushing the hand of war by corralling the Palestinians into a dead-end
and blaming the Israelis as the only perpetrators. Ultimately the control
of the Middle East means money and power: this is also the vision of the
Arabs from extremists to the elite. The Palestinians, like the Native Americans,
are being reduced to reservations or camps in land, once theirs.
Conclusion
The Arab world must redefine their borders with one another, to gain cohesive
structure; there should be no boundaries between the Arab states. Arabs must
achieve their autonomy as a whole, supporting each other throughout the Middle
Eastern lands. As united lands they can better support those states that
have fewer natural resources, and create an infrastructure that will allow
the entire Middle East to flourish and grow, water being the largest resource
needed to conquer the desert conditions. The Shari’a can be reformed
a little at a time within the Arab community’s time frame and the Islamic
religion would still flourish with tolerance of others.
The Arabs must overcome their differences: politically, intellectually and
religiously. They should use their rich history to bind themselves in a community.
The vastness of the Middle East requires the Arabs to trust each other in
order to unify and control. The talk of an Arab nation may not be out of
reach for the Middle East with the conclusion to the Palestinian struggle.
Until the Arabs look at themselves as a nation of brothers no matter what
the history and without borders made up by outsiders from the past. The unity
they are seeking will not be in their grasp.
Israel should return to their pre-1967 borders. Israel and Jerusalem should
become international property --protected by the world and open to all. The
Israelis must work with the Palestinians to foster a working relationship
to promote a growing economy with industry and agricultural sectors. The
Palestinians must be productive, have business opportunities and make money.
The establishment of a medical and education program for all should be a
priority. The bond between Israelis and Palestinians must be one of mutual
protection and respect, where the new state flourishes independently.
The Arab League must support and give land to the Palestinians. Jordan, Syria
and Saudi Arabia, in particular, must be substantial land donators. The Arab
League must assist with infrastructure and water distribution projects to
benefit them both. The must be a development of roads and rails to assist
in trade, between the Palestinians and the Arab League. The Arabs in the
Middle East states and countries must recognize Israel and Palestine. The
Palestinian people must own their land and have a universal Passport to travel
to all the lands of the Middle East without fear. If the Palestinians are
given Statehood that flourishes, the world, especially the third world nations,
will be given hope and focus. The entire world would benefit from such a
long-term, flourishing peace.
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“Mubarak: summit to consider delegation to Iraq; Syria: joint Arab defense
needed” 2/22/03
“Iraq asks for postponing summit, Lebanon agrees under conditions” 2/24/03
“On the EU meeting with Hammoud, Moussa: Humiliation overwhelms the Arab
States” 2/25/03
“Arab Summit rejects any military action” 3/3/03
“
World Bank on Israel’s destruction of the Palestinian economy: half
the Palestinians live on less than two dollars a day.” 3/6/03
Books
Barber B.R., Jihad vs. McWorld
Buchanan P.J., The Death of the West
David R. Arabs & Israel for beginners
El Saadawi N., The Hidden Face of Eve
Friedman T. L., From Beirut to Jerusalem
30. Friedman T.L., The Lexus and the Olive Tree
31. Rubin B. and Rubin J.C., Anti-American Terrorism and the Middle
East
Magazine Articles
Adams J. “The Arms Trade: The Real Lesson of the Gulf War”, The
Atlantic 11/91
Kaplan R.D. “Sons of Devils” The Atlantic 11/87
Langewiesche W. “The World In Its Extreme”, The Atlantic 11/91
Lewis B. “The Roots of Muslim Rage”, The Atlantic 9/90
Lewis B. “Islam and Liberal Democracy”, The Atlantic 02/93
Schwartz S. The Real Islam”, The Atlantic 3/30/03
Reich W. “A Stranger In My House – Jews and Arabs in the West
Bank”
The Atlantic, 6/84News Paper Articles:
Esler G., “Arab World is Changing More Rapidly Than Anywhere Else on
Earth”
The Scotsman, AAI in the News, May 3,2003
“
All about oil?” The Economist, Jan.23,2003
Keller B., “Why Bush Won’t Wait” , The New York Times,
Jan.25,2003
Sciolino E., “Across Iraq’s Border, A Land Haunted by War” New
York Times, 2/7/03
Narratives of America - Allan W. Eckert
The Frontiersmen
The Wilderness Empire
The Conquerors
The Wilderness War
The Gateway to Empire
Reference – Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001
Arab League
Pan- Arabism
Maghreb
United Arab Republic