Speaking of Gaza

The Arab public is expressing outrage over the Israeli bombing raids over Gaza.   A significant portion of this outrage is reserved for Arab leaders, who have been largely silent and even -- in the eyes of many -- complicit in the attack.  The picture below, of Egypt's Foreign Minister with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, has become a defining symbol of the campaign.  While nobody much seems to be paying attention in a U.S. preoccupied by holidays and the transition, I'd advise watching whether long building Arab anger over the Gaza situation explodes... especially in Egypt.

The ubiquitous picture of Egyptian FM Abu al-Ghayt and Livni

Two points of note.  First, the Arab media seems to be dividing along now-familiar lines, with al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya exemplifying two very different approaches.  If the bombing campaign is the preface to a wider Israeli offensive in Gaza, it will interesting to track whether a divide in the Arab media emerges similar to the one during the first ten days or so of the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah war.  In that conflict, al-Arabiya and much of the Saudi, Egyptian and Jordanian semi-official media downplayed coverage of the war and largely blamed Hezbollah, while al-Jazeera went into full regional crisis mode.  Today, I've been seeing blanket coverage of Gaza on al-Jazeera while on al-Arabiya's website this morning not one of the top five news stories dealt with Gaza.  That's only an early indicator, but given the current political lines of conflict in the region, and Israeli diplomatic preparations for the offensive with Arab leaders,  this may well happen again. 

Second, keep an eye on Cairo.  Egypt has been at the heart of the Arab anger over the evolving crisis.  It's been the one enforcing the blockade, ignoring a rising chorus of public criticism at home and in the wider Arab world.    Egyptian and Arab media and political forces have been lacerating the Mubarak regime for months over its enforcement of the blockade of Gaza.   Today, the Muslim Brotherhood  upped the ante by calling for a highly unusual public protest today to be led by Supreme Guide Mohammed Mehdi Akef -- announced in a blaring red banner atop its official website.   Most likely, this will just be another symbolic protest, but it contributes to a crisis atmosphere and there's no telling how the various forces will react. 

Comments

[Martin Kramer]

Street, shmeet. Official Egypt has a vital interest in constructing an exit from the situation, and to that end it needs to take up a position between Israel and Hamas. It is already spreading the blame evenly. Egypt is the (only) party that the Arab states, Europe, and the United States can count upon to negotiate a stand-down. Official Egypt is going to act in the national interest--and that means positioning Egypt as mediator. They've seen the old MB geezers out on the street before, it doesn't move them, and it doesn't matter how many times Al-Jazeera runs the identical clips over and over.

[naem]

Who authorized Israel to keep 1.5 million palestinians in conditions they are living under?
Israel stole their lands and expanding settlements illegally and expects from palestinians to stay queit while palestinians live under crowded and subhuman conditions.

Who auhorized Israel to control palestinians every day lives by allowing or disallowing basic needs when or how palestinians should get their needs?

Keeping the whole population in a massive prison for asking to be just and return their lands and dignity.

How long are palestinians suppose to take punishement and live like this for choosing their leaders democratically?

Who is going to listen to the cries of sufferers,forgotten and lost innocent kids?

Israel expects palestinians to live under misery and not to retaliate and if they do something to get world attention to this crissis, they are murdered inhumanely indiscremently and so violently with the blessings of Great U.S.A. and the whole world.

What ever happen to International justice system and punishing who are commiting genocide openly without fear of consequences?

Always blaming palestinians and demanding of them to stop shelling and dye queitly just because they are weak and not confronting the strong.

Its a shame that so called muslims who artificially protest and are part of this suppression(Egypt,Jordan,Saudis,...)
their citizens are equally to blame for keeping corrupt,hypocrat and impotent leaders and turning a blind eye. Fear God!.
Israel and U.S.A are the thugs and destroyer of the peace in the world.

[seth edenbaum]

What's equally interesting is the degree to which the attempts to "spread the blame" evenly at places like Joshua Marshall's TPM are being mocked outright by the commenting readership.

"In that conflict, al-Arabiya and much of the Saudi, Egyptian and Jordanian semi-official media downplayed coverage of the war and largely blamed Hezbollah."

The Arabic "street" more and more is connected to the world street.
Here as there the leadership is the last to know.

There was no ceasefire. The blockade was a weapon. Israel is compounding its mistakes.

[Xavier]

Of course, contrary to what Mr. Kramer alleges, the Al Jazeera clips being run aren't "identical" at all. The Israelis were kind enough to attack dozens of places to ensure diversity coverage opportunities.

[Guardian reading liberal]

Israel’s actions haven't done much for America’s image in the Middle East. I’d have thought this would be alluded to on this blog given Marc’s interest in US public diplomacy in the Arab world. This post reminds me of the remarkable ‘War of Ideas’ seminar a couple of months back in which Marc and his fellow panelists managed to discuss Arab perceptions of the US without seemingly making any reference to Israel/Palestine.

What’s frustrating is that it’s obvious that Marc knows the influence of Israel/Palestine on perceptions of America, but he won’t discuss it publicly because he also knows what happens to academics that don’t toe the line – they don’t get invited to speak at seminars on public diplomacy in Washington. Essentially, academics that don’t have an ideological commitment to Israel have two choices: either the path of Juan Cole, meaning they very publicly don’t get invited to the high table, or Marc’s one. But those that opt for the latter shouldn’t expect to be immune from the criticism that they’re little cogs in a system that allows Israel to get away with what it’s doing to the people of Gaza.

[Nur al-Cubicle]

Go here to see a slideshow @ Le Monde of Arab protests:

http://www.lemonde.fr/proche-orient/portfolio/2008/12/27/vague-de-colere-dans-le-monde-arabe_1135893_3218.html#ens_id=1106055