Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06AMMAN6049
2006-08-10 10:25:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:
MEDIA REACTION ON ISRAEL HIZBOLLAH COMBAT
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHAM #6049 2221025 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 101025Z AUG 06 FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3035 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0410 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 1333 RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUMICEA/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA// IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS AMMAN 006049
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, B/BXN,
B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN
USAID/ANE/MEA
LONDON FOR TSOU
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR JO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON ISRAEL HIZBOLLAH COMBAT
Editorial Commentary
-- "King's remarks, the anger of the moderates"
Columnist Fahd Khitan writes on the inside page of independent,
mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (08/10): "Jordan is a
friend and ally of Washington. Jordan supported Washington's
policies in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan and got involved with it
in the war on terrorism. U.S. President George Bush always
described King Abdullah II as the voice of reason and wisdom in the
region. And now here he is, the reasonable and wise leader, angry
at the American policy and the Israeli actions and is directing the
harshest and most severe criticisms to them. So what does Mr. Bush
tell his friends now? In the recent crisis, it seems that the
moderates, and Jordan among them, have had enough. They have borne
too much for the sake of the paralyzed peace process in the region
and have paid out of their popularity for continuing the close
alliance with Washington, the west and Israel.... If the escalation
in Lebanon continues in this manner, Jordan's stand is likely to
develop too, because the Jordanian leadership cannot continue to
defend principles that the Americans abandoned for Israel's sake.
What is going on is an American declaration, unilateral one, of
dismantling the alliance with the moderate Arabs and an
acknowledgement of the failure of the peace process that has become
in Arab people's minds a process of surrender. Jordan alone cannot
go far in a dispute with Washington. It is much weaker than to be
able to bear the repercussions of that. The matter requires an
Egyptian Saudi move, to build in essence a new Arab front that
re-draws the lines of alliance with Washington. Otherwise, the
issues of the conflict will continue to escalate and then the
resistance, a la Hizbollah, will become the only option for the Arab
people, and there will be no room of moderation anywhere in the
region."
-- "On the side of Arabism"
Chief Editor Taher Odwan writes on the back-page of independent,
mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (08/10): "Any war in which
Israel is party facing against an Arab country or people, it becomes
the national, pan-Arab and religious duty of every Arab to stand up
against Israel, support whoever is fighting it and confront its
aggressions and its wars. This formula is not one an impassioned
literary rhetoric and a slogan from the fifties. It is a matter of
identity and interests, and part of the political culture of peoples
and nations in this day and age. Olmert addressed the American Jews
yesterday and urged them to support Israel because it is fighting a
war for survival. Although Olmert is lying, because all of Israel's
wars were not wars for survival but rather wars started against
neighboring Arab countries to take new land, to expand, to establish
settlements, to kill and to destroy, Israel always finds those that
support it, especially in the United States. When the war against
Lebanon started, the U.S. Congress supported this war instead of
issuing a statement urging the parties to cease fire and abide by
political and diplomatic actions. Whoever sees the congressmen on
television would be amazed at this enthusiasm and passion of
American politicians in justifying Israel's massacres of children
and women and civilians in Lebanon, like repeating claims that
Hizbollah uses civilians as human shields and so Israel is doing
right.... How can all this blind support for Israel be described
other than it is a racist and hostile stand against the Arabs? Just
as the Lebanese leaders grabbed this moment in history with great
national responsibility, placing their differences aside and
standing in our trench with the resistance and against Israel, so
does this war provide a moment of history for the Arabs for bridging
the gap between Sunnis and Shiites and re-establishing the concepts
of nationalism, the state and the nation. From their pains and
their harsh times, the Lebanese are sending a message to the leaders
of the sects in Iraq and other Arabs that the enemy of this nation
is Israel and the foreign occupation."
HALE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, B/BXN,
B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN
USAID/ANE/MEA
LONDON FOR TSOU
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR JO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON ISRAEL HIZBOLLAH COMBAT
Editorial Commentary
-- "King's remarks, the anger of the moderates"
Columnist Fahd Khitan writes on the inside page of independent,
mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (08/10): "Jordan is a
friend and ally of Washington. Jordan supported Washington's
policies in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan and got involved with it
in the war on terrorism. U.S. President George Bush always
described King Abdullah II as the voice of reason and wisdom in the
region. And now here he is, the reasonable and wise leader, angry
at the American policy and the Israeli actions and is directing the
harshest and most severe criticisms to them. So what does Mr. Bush
tell his friends now? In the recent crisis, it seems that the
moderates, and Jordan among them, have had enough. They have borne
too much for the sake of the paralyzed peace process in the region
and have paid out of their popularity for continuing the close
alliance with Washington, the west and Israel.... If the escalation
in Lebanon continues in this manner, Jordan's stand is likely to
develop too, because the Jordanian leadership cannot continue to
defend principles that the Americans abandoned for Israel's sake.
What is going on is an American declaration, unilateral one, of
dismantling the alliance with the moderate Arabs and an
acknowledgement of the failure of the peace process that has become
in Arab people's minds a process of surrender. Jordan alone cannot
go far in a dispute with Washington. It is much weaker than to be
able to bear the repercussions of that. The matter requires an
Egyptian Saudi move, to build in essence a new Arab front that
re-draws the lines of alliance with Washington. Otherwise, the
issues of the conflict will continue to escalate and then the
resistance, a la Hizbollah, will become the only option for the Arab
people, and there will be no room of moderation anywhere in the
region."
-- "On the side of Arabism"
Chief Editor Taher Odwan writes on the back-page of independent,
mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (08/10): "Any war in which
Israel is party facing against an Arab country or people, it becomes
the national, pan-Arab and religious duty of every Arab to stand up
against Israel, support whoever is fighting it and confront its
aggressions and its wars. This formula is not one an impassioned
literary rhetoric and a slogan from the fifties. It is a matter of
identity and interests, and part of the political culture of peoples
and nations in this day and age. Olmert addressed the American Jews
yesterday and urged them to support Israel because it is fighting a
war for survival. Although Olmert is lying, because all of Israel's
wars were not wars for survival but rather wars started against
neighboring Arab countries to take new land, to expand, to establish
settlements, to kill and to destroy, Israel always finds those that
support it, especially in the United States. When the war against
Lebanon started, the U.S. Congress supported this war instead of
issuing a statement urging the parties to cease fire and abide by
political and diplomatic actions. Whoever sees the congressmen on
television would be amazed at this enthusiasm and passion of
American politicians in justifying Israel's massacres of children
and women and civilians in Lebanon, like repeating claims that
Hizbollah uses civilians as human shields and so Israel is doing
right.... How can all this blind support for Israel be described
other than it is a racist and hostile stand against the Arabs? Just
as the Lebanese leaders grabbed this moment in history with great
national responsibility, placing their differences aside and
standing in our trench with the resistance and against Israel, so
does this war provide a moment of history for the Arabs for bridging
the gap between Sunnis and Shiites and re-establishing the concepts
of nationalism, the state and the nation. From their pains and
their harsh times, the Lebanese are sending a message to the leaders
of the sects in Iraq and other Arabs that the enemy of this nation
is Israel and the foreign occupation."
HALE