In the week since the raid on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, the Arab media has focused the preponderance of its attention on what it has dubbed the \u201cfreedom massacre\u201d or \u201cIsraeli piracy.\u201d The incident and its wake have stirred deep passions throughout the Arab world and beyond. \u00a0Understanding the depth and nuances of the Arab reaction to the raid on the flotilla will be vital to understanding how the Arab world reacts to any subsequent moves towards Israel-Palestinian or Israeli-Arab reconciliation.<\/p>\n
The Israeli raid on the flotilla of six ships carrying aid to the people of Gaza, in which nine passengers died (nine Turkish citizens, one of whom was an dual American citizen), took place on May 31st<\/sup>, only a few days short of the one year anniversary of U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama\u2019s June 4, 2009 speech in Cairo that evoked great hope in him and America across the Arab world\u2014particularly among Arab youth. I witnessed that passion firsthand at an event on the Cairo speech we hosted at the Brookings Doha Center which was attended by scores of young Arabs who came spontaneously came, inspired by President Obama\u2019s words which had taken place only a few hours before.<\/p>\n While full details from the flotilla incident have yet to emerge, what is clear is that the public sentiment in the Arab world has been transformed.\u00a0 What follows below is a summary of over 30 opinion pieces from mostly major newspapers in across 18 Arab countries.\u00a0 In these opinion pieces we witness a sentiment that is not only enraged against Israel, but also furious with decades of supposed efforts by Arab governments to bring about a Palestinian state alongside Israel. What also comes across in is a new found frustration in America whose response was viewed in the Arab media as \u201ctimid.\u201d<\/p>\n This shift in sentiment is so profound, precisely because the heroes in their eyes were made up of a coalition citizens from around the world, especially Turkey, Europe, and the United States but also by one account, 11 Arab countries and six other countries with Muslim majorities. One Jordanian newspaper wrote that it was their lack of democracy that made the Arab nations so weak in their support for the Palestinians and that it was precisely the existence of democracy in Turkish that empowered Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan to legitimately speak for the Turkish people\u2019s desires to end Palestinian suffering.<\/p>\n A leading paper in the United Arab Emirates wrote that the attack on the aid flotilla bound for Gaza compared to other government-supported attacks on civilians that changed the political landscape like the 1960 incidents in Sharpeville in South Africa that accelerated the process of international sentiment against apartheid and the Amritsar massacre that changed British influence in India. For example stating \u201cthe sheer arrogance of the casual Israeli slaughtering\u201d should act as a global \u201cpolitical trigger\u201d for change.<\/p>\n Indeed, moving forward, we shall see if ordinary Arabs are content with words, or if they increasingly expect action\u2014action not only from their own Arab leaders, but also the international community, and from President Obama.<\/p>\n Indeed, a year ago this week in Cairo, President Obama pledged that \u201cAmerica will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own.\u201d He also continued by saying that, \u201cPalestinians must abandon violence\u2026That is not how moral authority is claimed; that is how it is surrendered. And that \u201cAmerica will align our policies with those who pursue peace.\u201d\u00a0 The question the Arab world is asking is not only if the U.S. leadership will actually push for peace in a tangible way, but if the Arab leadership themselves will take tangible steps to push for peace.<\/p>\n Moving forward, the United States will need to deeply consider the fall-out from this incident in how it seeks to build stronger and more-productive relations with the Arab world and with Muslims around the world. Already White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has had to field passionate questions about how the raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla and the American reaction will affect U.S. relations with the Arabs and Muslims around the world.<\/p>\n Only time will tell if the strong sentiments expressed in the media round up below represents a paradigm shift in the Arab world where nothing short of tangible action\u2014by both the Middle East\u2019s leaders and the international community including the United States\u2014will be expected to advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, or if passions will quiet yet again and the region will get on with business as usual. From the Algerian Press<\/u> <\/b><\/p>\n Words will no longer benefit <\/b><\/p>\n This Algerian daily criticized what it called \u201cthe heinous crime that Israel has committed\u201d, stating that there is \u201c\u2026no need to mention the numerous times Israel has violated international law. America knows these crimes by heart, as do Russia and China and all of the West and the South\u201d. It pointed out that the latest Israeli assault has similarities to the violations that took place in Europe in the end of the thirties stating that only when the reality of the Nazi crimes became clear did \u201c\u2026the Russians, Americans and Europeans forgot their differences and fight their mutual enemy that threatened humanity\u201d. \u201cYesterday the victim was Jewish\u201d, the daily said, \u201cand today it is Arab\u201d. As international organizations such as the UN and the Security Council have lost their credibility because they are biased towards Israel, the daily asserted that their words along with those of the U.S., Israel and NATO no longer resonate with Arabs and Muslims – as they all present one enemy bloc.<\/p>\n El Khabar<\/a>, <\/u>Algeria, Arabic, June 02, 2010<\/p>\n From the Bahraini Press<\/u> <\/b><\/p>\n Turkey<\/b> rises as Iran falls in the region<\/b><\/p>\n This editorial claims that both Turkey and Iran have a rivalry over who gets to control the region and have access to its wealth. Turkey has to \u201ctake the helm of the Muslim scene\u201d, and fight for its causes \u2013 which has prompted regional powers to try and follow suit; such as Egypt opening Rafah and the Arab league hastily convening. Turkey\u2019s stance is not new and it has gained it a lot of popular support especially when juxtaposed with Iran whose motives are questioned by the Arabs which has led to \u201cpopular and official mistrust\u201d of its intentions.<\/p>\n Al Wasat<\/a>, Bahrain, Arabic, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n From the Egyptian Press<\/u> American hands are not innocent<\/b> AlGomhuria,<\/a> Egypt, Arabic, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n Dividing Lines<\/b><\/p>\n This Egyptian daily was not surprised that everyone just watched the Israeli crime against humanity and that all the Security Council could do was hold a special meeting after which it issued a weak statement. It also found it usual for America to again be an obstacle to justice and not issue a single word of condemnation against its \u201csweetheart Israel\u201d, announcing only regret for the loss of human life and nothing more.\u00a0 The daily claimed that both the words of President Obama and those of the UN Security Council are nothing but simple words to \u201ccalm the angry masses\u201d.<\/p>\n AlGomhuria<\/a>, Egypt, Arabic, June 02, 2010<\/p>\n From the Iraqi Press<\/u> <\/b><\/p>\n Thank you O murderers!<\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed sees the Israeli raid as a dirty crime, but emphasizes that it seems to have opened the eyes of many of those who were ignorant about the realities of Israel\u2019s policies and their lack of respect for humanity. It also made clear that Israel does not shy from fabricating cheap lies to justify its criminal acts, making obvious the extent of its contempt for international law and the legal commitments that UN resolutions have imposed upon it. This episode, it continued \u201chas also shown the insignificance and weakness of the official Arab position and the Arab inability to deal with political developments\u201d, with Turkey as an example of \u201cwhat it is possible for Arabs to do in the future on both a regional and international level\u201d. Despite the fact that certain Arab writers are now reminding people that Turkey is the heir of the Ottoman Empire that occupied Arab land, slaughtered the Armenians and persecuted minorities, this op-ed criticized this approach especially now when Turkey is sending a ship with medicine, food and wheelchairs to the oppressed people of Gaza.<\/p>\n Al Rafidayn<\/a>, <\/u>Iraq, Arabic, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n From the Jordanian Press<\/u> <\/b><\/p>\n The Arab\u2019s choice\u2026 Turkey\u2019s choice\u2026 Shameful differences<\/b><\/p>\n This Jordanian daily stated that it is unlikely that other countries will follow in Kuwait\u2019s footsteps and withdraw their support for the Arab peace plan, as \u201cnothing new can be expected from the meeting of Arab foreign ministers who have been complacent with what Washington decides for decades\u201d. The only thing that is \u201cnew\u201d now, it said, is to bet on Turkey, which is a correct bet but unfortunately based on the old Arab rule of \u201cgo ahead and fight with God\u2019s blessing while we stand back and observe\u201d. The daily lamented the fact that\u00a0 Erdogan dares to antagonize Israel and Arabs do not, attributing the reason for that to democracy in Turkey which \u201chas enabled Erdogan to truthfully and legitimately speak for the Turkish people in such strength and daring lacks in the Arab world\u201d. \u201cErdogan can speak to Israel without having it have the upper hand, it concluded, while we the Arabs have missed the ship of democracy so that our people and our governments are in two different places entirely\u201d.<\/p>\n Ad Dustoor<\/a>, Jordan, Arabic, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n The Ottoman Erdogan<\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed passionately invoked the Turkish Ottoman past, asking \u201cwho can deny the true feeling of looking back at our ancestors and see how Erdogan, not out of political claims nor of Machiavellian desire to stay in power, but in true feeling of the Islamic ancestry of his Ottoman forefathers who have carried the Islamic caliphate for centuries, has slapped the Arab stance from the first drop of blood shed in the new war on Gaza?\u201d The op-ed stated that Arabs should be ashamed to clap for others who carry their causes and banners for them, ending with the author thanking God that he is born in a time where Erdogan \u201cthe Ottoman\u201d is leader.<\/p>\n Ad Dustoor<\/a>, Jordan, Arabic, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n The evolution of the Turkish-Israeli conflict<\/b><\/p>\n This Jordanian daily stated that this is not the first attempt to break the Gaza blockade but it surely is the biggest yet, insisting that Israel knew the political dimensions of attacking a flotilla with a Turkish flag and massive media attention at the helm. Ever since Turkey has knocked on the doors of the Eastern Mediterranean, which is an area of vital imp Al Rai<\/a>, Jordan, Arabic, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n Another Israeli crime<\/b><\/p>\n This daily expected that Israel would try to halt the Freedom Flotilla from reaching its destination in Gaza, but that it still could not believe the amount of force and massacre that ensued. In a \u201cflagrant act of high sea piracy\u201d, the daily accused Israel of attacking\u00a0 peace activists on the Turkish ship, Mavi Marmara, and again committing a crime under international law, backed by the U.S. and escaping punishment which it referred to as \u201ctacit immunity\u201d. The daily did not see the condemnations from around the world as\u00a0 seriously threatening Israel\u2019s relations or \u201cprivileged position\u201d with the important world powers.<\/p>\n Jordan Times<\/a>, <\/u>Jordan, English, 02 June 2010<\/p>\n From the Kuwaiti Press<\/u> <\/b><\/p>\n Raid puts Obama in diplomatic hot seat<\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed stated that the Israeli raid confronts President Obama \u201cwith another major test by the Israeli leadership\u201d and hampers his\u00a0 relations in the Middle East while also putting U.S.-Turkey relations on \u201cshaky ground\u201d especially after being \u201cat pains\u201d to keep good relations with the only Muslim member NATO member which the U.S. sees as a \u201cdemocratic buffer\u201d with Iran. The Israeli attack, the op-ed concluded, confronts President Obama with tough decisions which could prove to be detrimental on relations with both Israel and Iran if he \u201cdoes not hit his diplomatic stride\u201d.<\/p>\n Kuwait Times<\/a>,<\/u> Kuwait, English, 02 June 2010<\/p>\n From the Lebanese Press<\/u> <\/b><\/p>\n Israel<\/b> is becoming the new Jewish ghetto <\/b><\/p>\n In analyzing the assault on three levels, this op-ed asserts that the most important lens to look through in analyzing the situation is the political. It asserted that the Israeli raid on the aid flotilla has affected Israel\u2019s standing among the world greatly, leaving it more isolated and criticized than ever,\u00a0 and turning it into a modern day Jewish ghetto. It also stated that Israel may have transformed the idea of Zionism into a \u201cmedia-based justification for siege, assault, piracy, and murder\u201d; making it a well oiled propaganda machine that in the past has alleviated criticism and condemnation, but now may be starting to squeak. \u201cIsrael wants the world to get tangled up in an endless debate about a few knives and clubs\u201d, the op-ed said, while \u201cthe world wants Israel to come to grips with the more fundamental issue of whether a Jewish state respects the laws and norms that govern all humankind \u2013 or behaves only according to an increasingly hysterical, violent and often murderous sense of its own perpetual victimhood\u201d. Israel<\/b> and the Anatolian Front<\/b> <\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed claimed\u00a0 that Israel\u2019s brutal attack on the Turkish vessel was a planned and deliberate decision aimed to weaken Turkey\u2019s new pro-Arab role in the region especially after\u00a0 its successful role in reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran,\u00a0The pro-Israeli reaction by the Obama administration that failed to call for an International inquiry and hold the Israeli perpetrators accountable, the op-ed continued,\u00a0 \u201cis a clear indication\u00a0 that the United States is very annoyed by Turkey\u2019s active role in the region.\u201d The op-ed believed that Israel\u2019s aggression was backed if not at least \u201cgreeted\u201d by the United States in order to prevent further Turkish political involvement in the region and that the Turkish leadership will now understand its limits. It concluded that the Israeli attack on the Turkish vessels also sends a message to Iran, Syria and Lebanon, that Israel is ready for war especially after its latest maneuvers on the Anatolian front.<\/p>\n As-Safir<\/a>, <\/u>Lebanon, Arabic, June 02, 2010<\/p>\n Turkey<\/b> Steps in, Egypt Steps Out<\/b> <\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed began by stating that Israel adores blood and can\u2019t live without spilling it, but has been paying a heavy price for all the blood spilling since the 2006 war with Hizbullah.\u00a0 The indiscriminate use of force during the war on Gaza led to the Goldstone report while the Dubai assassination embarrassed Israel in the face of its allies, the op-ed continued, stating that Israel will also pay a heavy price after the its bloody assault on the freedom flotilla and asking how will Israel convince the Norwegians, Irish and French that it opened fire on their parliamentarians in self-defense? The op-ed also claimed that Israel wanted to punish the “terrorist” Erdogan for saving Iran from international sanctions and for his active support for the Palestinian cause and Gaza. The op-ed also drew attention to an important statement made by the Egyptian intelligence chief during his recent visit to Tel Aviv, where it claimed he asked Israeli officials to prevent vessels from reaching Gaza in order to lessen the pressure on Egypt who is also imposing a siege on Gaza.<\/p>\n An Nahar<\/a>, Lebanon, Arabic, June 02, 2010<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Arab Leaders: We\u2019ll meet again for the next banquet of blood<\/b><\/p>\n This Libyan daily criticizes the response of Arab leaders to the Israeli raid on the \u201cFreedom Flotilla\u201d and calls for a more weighty response; \u201cIt took the Arab foreign ministers a five-hour meeting to decide on a course of action and after these difficult throes they only decided on sending a statement to the Security Council.\u201d Arab leaders should send twenty convoys to break the blockade of Gaza or at least agree to boycott Israel economically. The editorial also laments that it took the UN Security Council thirteen hours to agree on a statement of condemnation and call for an investigation, that \u2013 due to American pressure \u2013 did not even define the method to carry out this investigation.<\/p>\n Al Jamahiriya<\/a>, <\/u>Libya, Arabic, June 02, 2010<\/p>\n How America can become loved<\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed noted that Washington yet again has been given a golden opportunity to repair its broken relations with the Arab street where it is sorely in need of better relations and has itself expressed the wish to establish new and better ties. But, the op-ed says, \u201cthe problem [that] this street [has with America] is the unjustified and irrational American alignment with the Israelis and their mafia-like policies.\u201d The act of piracy that the Israelis carried out in international waters is an opportunity to change the special re Al Jamahiriya<\/a>, <\/u>Libya, Arabic, June 01, 2010<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Turkish blood\u2026 Revived a nation, so they bloodied its shadow and ignited its fuel<\/b><\/p>\n This editorial heralded the rise of a new nation which it called \u201cthe Muslim nation\u201d after both Hizbullah\u2019s and Hamas\u2019 blood \u201cmingled\u201d with Turkish blood spilled by Israeli hands in the land of Palestine. The editorial also said there is no need to shout and protest anymore,\u00a0 as great powers have to realize that their best interests comes in either \u201cpunishing Israel or at least supporting the resistance against it.\u201d The editorial called for both the resistance to continue its work and for \u201cnoble people\u201d everywhere, such as Erdogan, to continue sending ships to help the people in Gaza break the siege.<\/p>\n Al Marrakeshiya<\/a>, Morocco, Arabic, June 02, 2010<\/p>\n <\/p>\n From Abd Al Nasser to Erdogan <\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed began by stating that \u201cTurkish Flags and pictures of Erdogan are raising high in the Arab world\u201d, comparing Erdogan entry to the hearts of the Arab masses by adopting the Palestinian cause to that of Jamal Abd El Nasser and Hassan Nassrallah. Erdogan carefully examined how Hassan Nassrallah gained his enormous popularity in the Arab world, the op-ed said, and came to understand that Turkey is not wanted in the West so he decided to turn to the East where Turkey had a historical role of leadership. The author concluded that the painful killing of the Turkish activities by Israel, gave Erdogan the key to the prolonged Middle Eastern conflict and that Israel today is living an existential threat with another foe added to Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.<\/p>\n Al Watan<\/a>, Oman, Arabic, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n From the Palestinian Press<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n Four major messages behind the Israeli raid<\/b><\/p>\n This daily asserted that Israeli commandos, the most highly trained in the world, who could have easily contained the situation aboard the flotilla without shedding blood; designed this attack was to send a message to multiple actors. The first was Turkey, telling it to stay out of their backyard even at the expense of military exercises and economic cooperation. The second message, the daily claimed, was to the United States whose recent hints at withdrawing international cover for Israeli practices was noticed and thus the flotilla attack was issued as a challenge to \u201cdare and issue any condemnation in the United Nations Security Council\u201d. The third message went to the international community, including \u201cJ Street\u201d, Harvard academics, and South African Jews that \u201cthis is [Israel\u2019s] answer to your words and rules\u201d. Finally, the daily concluded, the fourth and most dangerous message was an assertion that the planners of the flotilla attack were not the right wing extremists within Israel but the Labor and Likud parties-which means \u201cthat all of Israel, and not just the religious and nationalist hawks, have decided to go on this insane maritime venture\u201d.<\/p>\n Al Quds<\/a>, Palestine, Arabic, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n Some underlying elements in the American\/Israeli relationship<\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed stated that Israel has been \u201ca key ally whose security is part of American security\u201d, but that American officials and others are now asking if this support should be absolute and\/or given to any Israeli government and\/or policy. Should the U.S. try to \u201csave Israel from itself\u201d even when American interests are hurt by these Israeli policies often attributed to the extremist Israeli right?, the op-ed asked \u2013noting that for the first time that there is a conversation in the U.S. whose essence \u201cquestions whether Israeli and U.S. interests are compatible, especially when the former seems to care less about involving the U.S. with new wars and conflicts as is stood behind President Bush in his invasion of Iraq and is now lobbying the Obama Administration to take on Iran\u201d. Many pro-Israeli Americans and many Israelis, according to the op-ed, feel that the Netanyahu government is losing Washington\u2019s trust as well as Israel\u2019s future security which stems from the fact that Israel can no longer depend on the fact that it is an in-dispensable ally. \u201cThe U.S. is slowly beginning to realize that restructuring the world order stems from its ability to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict, or even the Iranian nuclear issue\u201d, the op-ed continued, both of which have Israeli policies that make Washington hesitant. President Obama knows this, it concluded, and that he is careful on letting Israel drag the U.S. to an Iranian standoff that would force the U.S. to go back to supplying Israel with arms and support and deal a deadly blow to [Obama\u2019s] aspirations in the Middle East.<\/p>\n Al Quds<\/a>, Palestine, Arabic, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n Israeli Piracy: the target, atmosphere, rationale, evidence, and retort<\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed asserted that the political goal of the Israeli raid was to stop any regional or international solidarity from becoming a political gain. Israeli leaders, it said, know that the Palestinian cause is an international one, and thus carried out the attack only because they knew they had the American veto in their pocket as well as Arab complacency. Israel would have thought twice before attacking the flotilla, the op-ed continued, had the proper Palestinian, Arab, and international atmosphere not been suitable for such a maneuver. \u201cOnly this Israeli obsession with being above the law could have driven it to spill foreign, non-Arab blood in international waters\u201d, said the op-ed, insisting that this operation presents proof that no main Israeli party is a partner to peace, and that only a unified Palestinian stance and a cancelation of all normalized relations between Israel and the Arab states can be an effective tool in lifting the siege.<\/p>\n Al Ayyam<\/a>, Palestine, Arabic, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n What we offer is talk… and what Israel offers is action<\/b><\/p>\n This daily lamented that fact that all Arabs seem to do is condemn Israel for its racism and piracy, when the fact remains that Israel is still probably the only country in the Middle East where prime ministers and governing parties are chosen in free and fair elections in a region whose republics have no clue about what that means. Before this time, the op-ed claimed, Arabs used to condemn their monarchies for their lack of democracy and now the monarchies \u201cput our republics to shame\u201d. Israel is the only country where a prime minster can be investigated for bribery, whose health systems are among the best in the world, while the actions of Arab leaders go unpunished and institutions are dismal in comparison, the daily said.\u00a0 If Jewish money holds the decision in the U.S., the daily asked, the \u201cwhat is the use of Arab money if we cannot create a strong lobby ourselves within great powers to influence decisions?.\u201d \u201cWe cannot engage in a military war with Israel, the Al Rai<\/a>, Palestine, Arabic, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n From the Qatari Press<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n Gaza<\/b> corners Israel<\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed asserted that the Israeli raid \u201chighlights the failure of the Israeli policy of blockading the Gaza Strip, exposed the unwillingness of Israel to make peace with the Palestinians\u201d, which led to a number of talk shows and news programs posing tough questions to Israel, after the Western media had paid little attention to the freedom flotilla \u201cuntil the Israeli raid on Monday morning that could not be overlooked\u201d. The op-ed went on to say that the flotilla episode has shown that Israel\u2019s allies are losing patience with Israeli stupidity and insanity, and that the clear Western criticism of Israel and the call to lift the blockade on Gaza poses an important question to Arab countries in whether they will capitalize on this given Israel\u2019s isolation to readjust their path and stop the farce of useless negotiations and lay the foundations of a peace course that recognizes rights and reclaim and achieve justice or fairness.<\/p>\n Al Arab<\/a>, <\/u>Qatar, Arabic, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n From the Saudi Arabian Press<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n Savage Action<\/b><\/p>\n This editorial criticized the U.S. reaction to the Israeli raid, calling it \u201clame and timid, almost nonchalant.\u201d While France and Russia, offered strong condemnation of Israel for its latest offence, the author was not surprised by the meek U.S. reaction, claiming that the U.S. would come to the rescue of Israel and wield its veto power if a resolution is prepared to end the blockade. It is time for the world to stand up to Israel, he continued, which \u201chas shown its true colors [and] its murderous intentions\u201d.<\/p>\n Arab News<\/a>,<\/u> Saudi Arabia, English, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n Don\u2019t save Israel this time<\/b><\/p>\n This Saudi daily compares the coverage of the flotilla raid in Arab and Western media and criticizes Arab coverage for being to emotional, preferring to follow the Western visual media\u2019s coverage of the crime[\u2026] \u201cOur media wants to spread the spirit of provocation instead of presenting information, it said\u2026it wants to increase escalation instead of helping us understand the consequences of what happened and how this battle with Israel should be dealt with so that Israel does not escape the consequences\u201d. \u00a0Most Western media outlets committed themselves to just providing information and images, the op-ed continued, without expressing emotion. What will remain in the minds of Western viewers from this neutral coverage, it concluded, is that Israel committed a crime that breached all international conventions.<\/p>\n Asharq Alawsat<\/a>,<\/u> Saudi Arabia, Arabic, June 02, 2010<\/p>\n Why did Israel commit this crime?<\/b><\/p>\n This Saudi daily criticizes both the Freedom Flotilla movement and Israel for being extremists and not truly wanting peace. The activists knew very well the reaction of Israel, it claimed, and knew that \u201cthe flotilla\u2019s actions would not break the blockade and it knows that if it really wants it, breaking the siege would be easy by firstly releasing the captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit whose detainment is not worth all the daily suffering of over a million Palestinians.\u201d Israel would not have lost anything except symbolically by letting the flotilla through, it claimed, and furthermore Israel had many other options and could have simply blocked the way with its naval ships etc.. Despite the numerous options, the daily claimed that the Israeli leadership chose to carry out an armed attack and it is evident that the instructions were to kill a number of defenseless passengers.<\/p>\n Asharq Alawsat<\/a>,<\/u> Saudi Arabia, Arabic, June 02, 2010<\/p>\n Is it a coincidence?<\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed from a Saudi daily questions what Israel really wants, and asks if it is a coincidence that every time effort is exerted to kick-start the peace process Israel comes out with a significant operation that rouses public opinion and which causes the parties who are exerting this effort to respond . Examples of this, it said, are the invasion of Gaza, that had tragic political and humanitarian consequences, and the announcement of settlement expansion in eastern Jerusalem during U.S.\u00a0 Vice President Biden\u2019s visit, which embarrassed the vice president and caused a diplomatic row with Washington. Israel is arrogant and lacks historical understanding, the op-ed claimed, citing its attacks in Lebanon and Gaza that show that while strength of force can achieve military victory this does not result in political gains, and can on the contrary have long-term adverse effects by fueling a climate of hostility that makes it almost impossible to resolve the conflict.<\/p>\n Asharq Alawsat, Saudi Arabia, Arabic, June 02, 2010<\/a><\/p>\n Why shocked with the Israeli piracy?<\/b><\/p>\n This Saudi op-ed blames preventing a peace settlement and the West for rewarding Israel for its crimes. The world is in shock over the piracy operation carried out by Israeli forces on the Marmara ship, it claimed, which was heading to Gaza with humanitarian aid. But this has been the Israeli approach for decades, it added, and despite its shock the world does nothing. Instead of being held accountable, it continued, Israel is invited to join organizations such as the OECD and congratulated for being modern and democratic. It is absolutely clear that Israel is the one refusing real peace negotiations. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is fully aware that Israel does not want peace but continues to negotiate to show the world that the problem is not with the Palestinians.<\/p>\n Al Hayat<\/a>, <\/u>Saudi Arabia, Arabic, June 02, 2010<\/p>\n The Freedom flotilla and the liberation of Palestine<\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed lamented the Arab response to the attack on the flotilla, calling it \u201ccowardly\u201d and insufficient despite the opening of Rafah by the Egyptians, Amr Moussa\u2019s statement that Israel does not understand the language of peace, \u201conly force\u201d, and Kuwait\u2019s withdrawal of its support to the Arab peace plan. The op-ed called for an immediate cessation of negotiations and a united Arab stand that is the only method of breaking the siege on Gaza.<\/p>\n Akhbar Baladna<\/a>, Al Sudan, Arabic, June 05, 2010<\/p>\n The Arab Position \u2013 An Ugly Picture<\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed claimed that no one in the world was able to justify the Israeli act, including its friends, believing that such attitudes are an attempt to escape from making a clear condemnation and also to escape from supporting the Israeli crime that would not have been committed without an American political cover. The criminals, according to the op-ed, seem to be in conflict with international laws and norms and will not hesitate to commit further crimes until state officials turn from reacting with mere statements to reacting with binding decisions under Chapter VII.<\/p>\n Tishreen<\/a>, Syria, Arabic, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n Idiots\u2019 Illusions This daily drew attention to what it saw as the hidden lines between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan\u2019s angry speech as a message to Israel about what Turkey represents, informing it that it is not alone in the region. \u201cAmerica has emptied the UN from its content\u201d, the daily continued, and thus \u201caction is no longer expected from the UN\u201d so much so that expecting a bold and fair attitude from NATO is more realistic than expecting it from the United Nations.<\/p>\n AlThawra<\/a> Syria, Arabic, June 02, 2010<\/p>\n The Freedom flotilla and the liberation of Palestine<\/b><\/p>\n This op-ed lamented the Arab response to the attack on the flotilla, calling it \u201ccowardly\u201d and insufficient despite the opening of Rafah by the Egyptians, Amr Moussa\u2019s statement that Israel does not understand the language of peace, \u201conly force\u201d, and Kuwait\u2019s withdrawal of its support to the Arab peace plan. The op-ed called for an immediate cessation of negotiations and a united Arab stand that is the only method of breaking the siege on Gaza.<\/p>\n Akhbar Baladna<\/a>, Al Sudan, Arabic, June 05, 2010<\/p>\n World must act against Israel<\/b><\/p>\n This feature by a Gulf News columnist compared the attack on the Mavi Marama is compared to the 1960 attacks in Sharpeville in South Africa where \u201cpolice opened fire on black protesters, killing 69 people. The brutality of the event created a storm of international protest, which eventually led to apartheid South Africa being isolated by the international community, giving vital support to those calling for a democratic South Africa\u201d…The daily stated that \u201cthe sheer arrogance of the casual Israeli slaughtering\u201d should act as a global \u201cpolitical trigger\u201d for change, and examined the legal context of that attack which it said could lead to Turkey declaring war on Israel (unlikely according to the columnist) or to \u201cinvoke NATO’s Article Five, as President Bush did after the 9\/11 attacks, which defines an attack on one as being an attack on all.\u201d<\/p>\n Gulf News<\/a>,<\/u> United Arab Emirates, English, June 03, 2010<\/p>\n Spin doctors cannot hide Israel\u2019s actions<\/b><\/p>\n An editorial in this UAE daily called Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s spokesman, Mark Regev, \u201ca liar for hire\u201d when he attempted to minimize the backlash from the flotilla raid and pointed out the importance of controlling the media narrative, which the Israeli\u2019s have done by establishing a media blackout as soon as the ship was seized by the Israeli commandos and keeping pertinent information from the international media. The editorial also pointed to the international community\u2018s uproar about the Israeli led investigation stating that \u201cWe are all entitled to our own opinions, but Mr. Regev and the Israeli government are not entitled to their own facts\u201d- calling for the truth to come out. The editorial also stated that the selective video clips released by Israel do not \u201creveal anyone using anything that is not found on other ships\u201d and they have failed to produce evidence supporting their claim that people on board were terrorists.<\/p>\n
<\/u><\/b>
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
\nThis op-ed predicted that soon the international community will forget or pretend to forget the role of the U.S. \u2013 Israel\u2019s strategic ally that equips it with the latest weapons to be used in violation of international law. Israel would not dare to commit this \u201cFreedom Massacre\u201d, the op-ed insisted, without \u201cthe advance assurance that America will rescue it from international condemnation\u201d.<\/p>\n
\nortance to Israel, the daily said, , \u201cthe rivalry over influence between both of these players took effect especially when it came to the weakness of the Arab position\u201d. The conflict between Turkey and Israel is a candidate for escalation on many fronts, it continued, as Israel is antagonized and going through a crisis that inches ever more so towards the right, and Turkey has been able to open some holes in the Arab wall and entered the scene on the Iranian crisis with surprising success. \u201cThis might mean we are soon to witness a Turkish era right after the Iranian era\u201d, the daily concluded, asking when will the Arabs stop making their interests the battleground for others and regain control over the causes.<\/p>\n
\nThe Daily Star<\/a><\/u>, (Lebanon, English,<\/u> June 02, 2010)<\/p>\n
\nFrom the Libyan Press<\/u> <\/b><\/p>\n
\nlations between Washington and Tel Aviv, it continued, as what Israel did to the aid workers and peace activists should push America to liberate its political conscience. Perhaps, the op-ed concluded, America will realize its need for the Arab world and perhaps realize that Israel is a political burden for the administration, an economic for the taxpayers and a moral one for all Americans; for if it does not come tot his realization, it will not win over the Arab street, the global street and its own soul.<\/p>\n
\nFrom the Moroccan Press<\/u> <\/b><\/p>\n
\nFrom the Omani Press<\/u> <\/b><\/p>\n
\nop-ed concluded that is why our war should be that of education, business, and achievement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nFrom the Sudanese Press<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n
\nFrom the Syrian Press<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
\nFrom the Tunisian Press<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n
\nFrom the United Arab Emirates Press<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n