CAIRO — The failure to stand by the Lebanese and
Palestinian resistance and the defeating silence regarding the Israeli
killing of civilians and destruction of infrastructure would likely
"expedite" the ouster of some Arab rulers, through military
coups or at the hands of reformists, analysts expect.
"The sepulchral silence of Arab leaders at the
barbaric Israeli attacks on the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples, and
the gallantry displayed by the resistance factions would help topple
some Arab leaders," Mohammad Darif, a Moroccan political analyst
and professor of political sciences at Al-Muhammdiya University, told
IslamOnline.net.
Darif predicted that reformists would bring in the
wind of change.
"Reformists will replace incumbent rulers or
force them to change their political agendas with national blueprints
that give priority to facing up to the challenges posed by Israel and
counter the suspicious alliance of Arab governments with the
West," he said.
Heart-breaking images of Lebanese children and
civilians brought from under the rubble of a house demolished in an
Israeli air strike on the southern village of Qana only drew
"strongly worded" statements of condemnation from Arab
leaders.
Some of them have even spared themselves the agony
of offering condolences to the Lebanese.
An initiative by Yemeni President Ali Abdullah
Saleh to convene an emergency summit to discuss the war on Lebanon
failed to get the needed quorum over the lack of interest shown by
several Arab leaders.
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Angry Arabs felt betrayed by their leaders. (Reuters)
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Darif did not rule out the emergence of a group of
army officers, following in the footsteps of the Free Officers
Movement, which toppled the monarchy in Egypt in 1952.
"Our last hope is that politicians or army
officers take an action in a way that protects the harmony and social
fabric of countries," he said.
Diaa Rashwan, a political expert at Egypt's Al-Ahram
Center for Political and Strategic Studies think tank, said the region
teeters on the bring of all-inclusive chaos and military coups.
"Arab rulers did not only ignore their
peoples, but they adopted agendas that alienated them," he told
IOL.
Abdel Aziz Al-Ghomisi, a Saudi analyst, agreed that
the disgraceful stance of Arab leaders toward Lebanon and Hizbullah
would encourage the reformists to stand up and be counted with the
help of the army or politicians.
"The Arab peoples lost faith in their rulers,
because they failed to stop the war," he maintained.
"Hizbullah did what well-equipped Arab armies
failed to do," he said.
Hizbullah has inflicted heavy losses on the
powerful Israeli army and proved in no way an easy meat.
Its fighters forced Israeli forces to withdraw from
the two strategic towns of Bint Jbeil and Maroon Al-Ras in the south
they had earlier seized after die-hard battles.
Hizbullah has also downed at least two US-made
Apache helicopters and damaged a giant warship at the very beginning
of the conflict.
"What's going on in Lebanon does not only
reflect the impotency of Arab rulers, but is also an insult to the
military establishments in the Arab countries," fumed Darif.
Qatar's Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh
Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani on Monday accused some Arab
countries of supporting the Israeli offensive on Lebanon.
"There was more or less agreement from some
Arab states that Israel completes its mission before a
ceasefire," he told the Doha-based Al-Jazeera news channel.
"I think they were thinking of the Lebanon's
general interest but forgot the Arab general interest and their
citizens. Some have changed their views, which is a good thing."
Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have heaped blame on
Hizbullah for triggering the conflict without consulting with any
party.
But facing outrage and protest at home against
Israel's onslaught, they have since taken a tougher stance, warning
Washington that Israeli militarism could lead to a wider conflict in
the region.
Pundits believe that some Arab rulers hoped that
Hizbullah would be defeated by Israel, fearing that a victory by the
resistance group would serve as a catalyst for reformists to push
forward with their demands.
Reformist powers have gained momentum over the past
two years in some Arab countries like heavyweight Egypt.
However Egyptian police have cracked down on
pro-reform protesters in recent weeks, detaining hundreds of them
during protests against President Hosni Mubarak's 25-year rule.
Britain's mass-circulation The Independent said
on April 25 that Mubarak's regime was caught between further
repressions or opening up to more reform and risking lose power.
