(Jerusalem Post) Barry Rubin - On the surface, the surge of revolutionary Islamism certainly looks bad for Israel, but there are short-term implications. Internal battles will disrupt Arab armies and economies, reducing their ability to fight against Israel. As for Iran, it has lost virtually all of its non-Shia Muslim assets, notably Hamas. In general, Arab Sunni Islamists don't like either Iran or Shia Muslims and are certainly not going to follow Tehran's lead. The big Middle East conflict of the future is not the Arab-Israeli but the Sunni-Shia one. The Palestinians threw away the greatest opportunity they've ever had. The Obama administration was ready to become the most pro-Palestinian government in American history. Instead, the Palestinians refused to cooperate with Obama, rejecting his initiatives and refusing even to negotiate with Israel. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, the PA repeatedly showed the U.S. government that it was the intransigent party. The writer, a professor, is the director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center.
2012-07-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive