[R-G] Arab solidarity on Gaza urged

[Anthony Fenton]

Arab solidarity on Gaza urged
By TOM HANRATTY
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=241096&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=31312

THERE is more solidarity with the people of Gaza in South America than  
there is in neighbouring Arab states, according to American-Jewish  
political scientist Dr Norman Finkelstein.

He described the Arab world's response to Israel's assault on Gaza as  
"a total disgrace" and even "funny", shortly after arriving in Bahrain  
to deliver a series of lectures.

"The reaction from the Arab world was a total disgrace, a disgrace to  
the whole region and its people," Dr Finkelstein told a Press  
conference at the Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel, Residence and Spa  
yesterday.

"This region has no shame. It's very funny really because when they  
teach you about the Arab world in the West, they say it's a shame  
culture, and that people are obsessed with issues of shame.

"I actually think it's the opposite. What you showed in the last  
massacre in Gaza is that you have no shame at all.

"The most powerful reactions in the world came from Bolivia,  
Venezuela, Mauritania, Turkey and Qatar - and that's just funny.

"There was more solidarity in South America than here."

Dr Finkelstein, who has been invited to Bahrain by the Palestine  
Support Society, made his damning assessment of the Arab world ahead  
of two lectures.

He will give the first tonight at the Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel,  
Residence and Spa, followed by one tomorrow at the Shaikh Isa Cultural  
Centre and National Library, in Juffair. Both start at 8pm.

Dr Finkelstein is an independent scholar whose primary fields of  
research are the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the politics of the  
Holocaust.

He has previously lectured in a number of top universities across the  
US and is also the author of five books.

Speaking to the GDN yesterday, Dr Finkelstein said the first lecture  
would focus on the background to the Israeli war in Gaza, while the  
second would discuss reasons for the attack.

"First of all I will speak on the background to the Israeli massacre  
in Gaza," he said.

"I don't think it is linguistically correct to describe it as a war -  
there was no war in Gaza because there were not two sides fighting. It  
was just one side annihilating the other and that's a massacre.

Evidence

"I understand there are some misconceptions in this part of world with  
people believing that Hamas was responsible for what happened.

"There is no evidence in my opinion to support this claim. The records  
show very clearly that, as Israeli newspapers themselves reported, the  
attack on Gaza had been planned as early as March 2007.

"For me, there are two main reasons for the attacks. Number one,  
because of the defeat they suffered in 2006 in the war with Hizbollah.

"After that they wanted to demonstrate to the Arabs that Israel was  
still a fighting force and one that could still inspire terror in the  
Arab world.

"Secondly, because Hamas was becoming too moderate, making statements  
that it was willing to settle conflict in accordance with the Arab  
League Peace plan of 2002.

"This was deemed a disaster for the Israelis."

He suggested that any peace deal would have deprived Israel of an  
excuse for seizing control of Palestine.

Meanwhile, he claimed the idea that Israel controlled US foreign  
policy in the Middle East was a myth.

"There is no evidence to support that," he said.

"Whether it is Iran, Iraq or Saudi Arabia, major US interests are at  
stake and so the US ruling elite make decisions on these issues based  
on what they perceive to be US strategic interests.

"On the other hand, in my opinion, it is true to say that when major  
US interests are not at stake - for example the US has no real  
interest in West Bank or Gaza, if tomorrow Israel leaves the West Bank  
and Gaza, US ruling elites wouldn't care."

When asked for his opinion on bringing a war crimes case against  
Israel, Dr Finkelstein responded sharply that if Slobodan Milosevic  
and Saddam Hussein could be prosecuted, the same standards should be  
applied to Israel in this case.