[Wall Street Journal] Michael Rubin - Arab condemnation of Hizballah in the Arab world has been swift. But there is no change of heart toward acceptance of Israel in Riyadh, Cairo, or Kuwait. Rather, the recent condemnation of Hizballah signals recognition of a greater threat on the horizon. Wadi Batti Hanna, a columnist in Iraq's Arab nationalist al-Ittijah al-Akhar daily, put it bluntly when, on July 15, he asked, "How long will the Arabs continue to fight on behalf of Iran?" Most Arabs perceive Israel as small. While they do not like Israel's existence, Jerusalem presents no threat. Not so Tehran. A giant with 70 million people, Iran is no status quo power. Its ideological commitment to export revolution is real. Across Lebanon and the region, Arab leaders see Hizballah as an arm of Iranian influence, waging a sectarian battle in the heart of the Middle East. The writer, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, is editor of the Middle East Quarterly.
2006-07-20 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive