| By Linda S. Heard Online Journal Contributing Writer | Online Journal, Apr 2, 2008 | |
As the Damascus Arab League Summit has illustrated, the principle of Arab unity has rarely been as fragile. For the people of this region, this is a tragedy. The more Arabs are divided on crucial issues affecting their lives, the more unprotected and powerless ordinary people feel. For in the world of geopolitics small is definitely not beautiful.
Every crack that forms within the Arab nation represents another vulnerability that offers its enemies a quicker route to fulfilling their own goals. For instance, on Sunday, an Arab League statement warned Israel that the league's continued support for the 2002 Saudi "Arab Peace Initiative" was contingent upon Israel's actions. The Israeli papers have reacted by suggesting the offer isn't workable anyway because it relies on the agreement of all 22 Arab League member countries, many of which are currently at odds with one another.
Such divisions have given the Israelis an excuse to pour public scorn on the Arab Peace Initiative, which they never intended to take seriously anyway, since they have little intention of pulling back behind pre-1967 borders or handing over East Jerusalem to become the capital of a new Palestinian state.
Put simply, the more Arabs can't get along, the more Israel is strengthened. The current animosities between Lebanese are music to the Israeli government's ears because a strong, unified and economically viable Lebanon might emerge as a potential threat on its borders.
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