OMAN MEDIA CALLS FOR ARAB (AND PALESTINIAN) UNITY

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000195 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER KPAL PBTS KPAO MU SUBJECT: OMAN MEDIA CALLS FOR ARAB (AND PALESTINIAN) UNITY ON GAZA REF: MUSCAT 145 ¶1. In response to the recent escalation of conflict in Gaza, Omani media outlets have called for renewed Arab unity in support of the Palestinians. Under the March 2 headline, "So that Silence Is Not Consent," private Arabic-language daily "al-Watan" urged uniform condemnation not only of Israeli "crimes" in Gaza, but also of a statement made by an Israeli defense official that the Palestinians would invite "disaster" for firing rockets into Israel. Arabic-language state daily "Oman" ran successive editorials entitled, "The United Arab Stand and the Necessity of Stopping the Massacres," and, "Continuous Israeli Crimes in Gaza." In another show of solidarity, independent Arabic-language daily "Shabiba" stated in a February 19 editorial, "We are Arabs and Muslims and will always sympathize with the Palestinians because they are facing genocide by Israel." ¶2. The calls for Arab unity have been accompanied by criticisms that Palestinian infighting has prolonged the woes in Gaza. Recently launched private Arabic-language daily "Azzamn" accused the Palestinian Authority of working with the Israelis against Hamas in Gaza. In its late January editorial entitled, "The Power Scenario," Azzamn proclaimed that, "Gaza is suffering from two sieges, one from Israel and the other from Abbas' Fatah movement." Following similar views expressed by Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmud, Omani Deputy Prime Minister, during the November 2007 opening of the Majlis Oman, Said Baqwair, a senior political editor for "Oman," stated in a February 5 editorial that Palestinian Authority discord has contributed to weakening international interest in the plight of the Palestinian people. "Al-Watan" added in a February 18 editorial that, "Palestinian infighting has caused the prolonging of the Gaza siege." ¶3. While devoid of calls for Arab unity, prominent English-language dailies "Times of Oman" (private) and "Oman Observer" (state-owned) used their front pages to condemn recent Israeli actions via front-page headlines such as, "Israel Is at It Again, Kills Ten in Gaza" and "Gaza Massacres," respectively. Neither chose to run editorials on the conflict, however, choosing to express their views through sensational headlines. ¶4. Outside print media, violence in Gaza was a topic of discussion in Omani Internet forums. Forum participants were nearly unanimous in condemning Israel for the "massacre" of Palestinians. Many also held the U.S. responsible for Palestinian deaths, citing strong American support for Israel. A few participants also praised Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel and called for more of them. The situation in Gaza was not, however, the most popular subject in Omani cyberspace. There was more interest, as measured by the number of postings, in both the rising cost of living in Oman and the republication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed in Danish newspapers. GRAPPO