What do Pan-Arabists – in other words, people who regard the Arab world as a single nation – think of the U.S. presidential election? This editorial from Yemen – a country that is home to a tremendous reservoir of seething militancy, starts with an examination of the history of when the Arab people have been fooled – and warns them not to expect any favors from whoever wins.
According to this editorial from the Al-Wahdawi newspaper, most are rooting for Obama, but are destined to have the hopes they place in that rising star of American politics dashed. And the reason for these words of caution? In a word, Israel.
“Some Arabs long for the 20th of January to witness George Bush leaving the White house and Obama going in, as if to grant him victory in advance!! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Whether Obama is better than McCain will only affect American citizens and not us, since in his first address he will express support for ‘Israel’ and the safeguarding of its security, which is synonymous with the security of the United States. … It’s true that whoever wins the election, American foreign policy will witness some changes, but those changes will not be in our favor [on favor of Pan-Arabists]. Because, for example, if changes occur in Afghanistan, Israel isn’t located there; and if changes toward Iran and North Korea take place, Israel isn’t in their neighborhood. If U.S. foreign policy changes in the Arab World, it will only be a negative change, because Israel is joined to America’s hip.”
The editorial finishes off with a cry for Arab unity and opposition to that amorphous catchall word for all things dreaded … Zionism:
“Our problems will be solved only when we make real the true dream – that of national reconciliation, Arab solidarity and opposition to Zionism. In so doing, we will restore our pride and dignity. And ever after, the enemy – any enemy – will have to reckon with us on that basis. Ever after, we’ll no longer beat the drums for anyone else. Glory Be to the Arab Nation … Victory to its people … Paradise to its Martyrs … and Allah Akbar [God is Great].”
EDITORIAL
Translated By Nicolas Dagher
September 9, 2008
Yemen – Al-Wahdawi – Original Article (Arabic)
In 1964, the British Labour Party won the elections and some Arabs were overjoyed and partied to celebrate the fall of Prime Minister Eden and his fellow conservatives, who took part in the Suez Campaign against Pan-Arab Egypt in 1956 . Their joy was not the result of a correct and conscious reading of the events but was based on ignorance while thinking that the “Tories” would side with the Arabs – so they thought!!!
[Editor’s Note: The crisis over the strategically-important Suez Canal was triggered by a military attack on Egypt by Britain, France, and Israel, after Egypt nationalized the Canal. Interestingly – it was the United States which stepped in stop the British-French-Israeli invasion ].
A few years later, specifically in 1967, came the Six Day War , in which the Labour Party, in addition to the United States and France, played a central role in support of the Zionist aggression. Arabs discovered that they were wrong about their Tory “Friends.”
READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing translated and English-language foreign press coverage of the U.S. election.
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