Arabs, Israelis and Individual Perspectives

(photo courtesy Richard Ambler)

Brij Khindaria’s perceptive pieces in the TMV have prompted me to undertake a nostalgic trip.

Incidentally, I have also read a lot of other comments about the complex Israel versus “they” conflict, its genesis and the future scenario. Some insights were very useful in understanding what is happening now.

I will not like to go back too far into history, but just narrate from my own experience. The year was 1976 (exactly 30 years ago) when I got an year-long contract to work in a Saudi Arabian newspaper. Well, the money was good and an opportunity of a lifetime to see the Arab world at close quarters. (Also I was a great fan of T.E. Lawrence — of Lawrence of Arabia fame).

In 1976 Jimmy Carter was elected the U.S. President; and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that blacks and other minorities were entitled to retroactive job seniority.

Also, in 1976 the U.S. Supreme Court also ruled that “death penalty was not inherently cruel or unusual and was constitutionally acceptable form of punishment.” The USA celebrated the bicentennial. Israeli airborne commandos attacked Uganda’s Entebbe Airport and freed 103 hostages held by pro-Palestinian hijackers of Air France plane.

And Osama bin Laden must have been a teenager!!! It may now appear that all this happened in some other age and era. But to me the year 1976 stands out vividly as I stepped out of the Air India plane onto the oven that was Jeddah Airport. On hand to receive me was my new boss Mr Ayyad Madani, Editor of Saudi Gazette, who now happens to be the Information Minister in the Royal Saudi Government.

After spending a few months at Jeddah, I was selected to be the Bureau Chief of the Saudi Gazette at Riyadh – and, thus, perhaps became the first non-Arab and non-Muslim journalist to be permanently stationed at the Capital city (at that time even Embassies were at Jeddah). A fabulous pay packet, a five bed-room house, a choice of any car from the fancy stable, and unlimited expense account!!!

I was the toast of the American and European corporate denizens in Riyadh as I had a “golden press pass” to meet the high and the mighty in the powerful desert kingdom. I rarely had time to accept the hospitality extended by the exclusive American and European “colonies” open to individual citizens of a country.

For my tipple, I preferred to visit my Dutch friend, who lived with his charming French wife and three lovely small daughters, and who was Manager at the Riyadh Intercontinental.

But that’s another story. Let me get back to the subject on hand. During my year-long stay I never found any hatred towards Israelis (that was exclusively reserved for America). The Saudis only grumbled that Israelis were being terribly unfair towards Palestinians and never honoured the U.N. resolutions.

The reason for hatred towards the U.S. (please remember I am talking about 1976) was primarily owing to the growing American presence in Saudi Arabia and its influence over the King and the Saudi government. Even at that time the Saudis used harsh words and talked about the “devil” inside America because of the nation’s “naive, permissive, immoral and aggressive lifestyle”.

As an average Saudi could not talk about this openly in public, there were a number of audio cassettes doing the rounds vividly describing in verse and prose “the damaging consequences of the spreading network of the American devil”. Remember the year was 1976.

I sought some clarification from my American colleague who was freelancing for our Saudi newspaper. Her husband from Illinois was a pilot with the Saudia Airlines. She had been in Saudi Arabia for past few years and was, indeed, daring. She wrote a moving story in Saudi Gazette about the prevalent circumcision among girls. And imagine editor Madani published it!!!

The editor Madani also published my controversial story regarding uncontrolled building activity around Riyadh that was ruining the oasis character of the historic city.

My American friend told me that Saudis were “intuitive” and love individual American citizens, but America as a nation was anathema to them…a “destructive force”. “America has to do a lot more to allay an average Saudi’s fears that the American culture will not swamp the traditional Saudi culture. They are mortally scared.”

She, an American Jew, had a large group of local Saudi friends and the doors of the high and the mighty were always open to her. She soon became my mentor and guide in Riyadh.

By virtue of being the custodians of Mecca and Medina, the Saudis consider themselves as superior to other Arabs, my American friend told me. You don’t get that feel of “horrible and nasty” Arabs when you meet an average genuine Saudi (in contrast to lot of immigrants who claim to be Saudis).

“They are courtesy personified. And the desert has taught them to judge a person in a jiffy. Once you make a friend, he or she is a friend for lifetime. And once you are seen as an enemy then God save your soul.”

Now what we see here is a different perspective altogether. So Brij Khindaria has a point that we cannot view the complex situation in just black and white and then pass a hurried judgement.