Middle East Tension Continues Prior to Israeli Elections

The Moslem Summits: Entangled Responses

17 November 2000

The Moslem nations have had their Summit meetings - bureaucratic entanglements that diluted a strong reaction to Israel's actions. Similar to most international summits that never take a path to substance, the Moslem Summits remained on a path of moderate decision. So, it appeared. Behind the appearance may have been smart diplomacy and misdirected strategy.

By not giving the strongest response to Israel, the Arab world prevented being locked to an extreme position they would be forced to fulfill if Israel rejected their demands. Smart diplomacy demands that the first position be moderate and signal to the other party that an acceptance might mean moving down to a more lenient position. Refusal could mean a tightening of the screws, an alignment to the more radical position. How tight can the Moslem nations tighten the screws?

Israel has been turning itself away from the Arab world. Economically and culturally, it is positioning itself as a Mediterranean nation and aligning with Europe and the Common Market. Sanctions by the Moslem nations will probably not disturb Israel. If sanctions fail to readjust Israel's policies, the Arabs will be forced to a more aggressive stance that will lead to hostilities; an option that still favours Israel. Pakistan and Indonesia, the strongest of the Moslem nations, cannot provide sufficient military assistance. Pakistan is neutralised by its occupation with India. Indonesia is too distanced to provide much assistance. Since the United States will not permit Israel to be destroyed, Israel will have American assistance and will be able to overcome any combination of military force. Israel will not be eager to fight, but will prefer to engage its antagonists while it is stronger and able to destroy them.

The Moslem nations summits' smart diplomacy is not the correct strategy to victorious action. The Arabs and other Moslem nations have constantly failed to properly implement the most winning strategy; using their vast manpower, wealth and oil domination to convince the Western world of the legitimacy of their causes and the danger to world stability of Israel's policies. The Western world nations, whose friendship and commerce determine Israel's existence, can pressure Israel to modify its policies. The governments of these nations have no prevailing reason to refuse the demands of the Arabs and the other Moslem nations. Just the opposite - they have convincing reasons to accept them.

Why have the Arab and Moslem nations failed to convince the Western governments that they have to choose between: recognising the dictates of their own world's representatives in the United Nations that have demanded that Israel cease its occupation, dismantle settlements and withdraw its forces to the 1967 borders, all of which could bring peace and prosperity to the region, or causing the possible genocide of the Palestinian people, continuous Mid-East conflict, and a terrorism that might paralyse the world?

The Moslem world has its Islamic fundamentalist movements that are destroying parts of Moslem society. The Western world is partially guided by a similar experience, by those who create destruction. If the Moslem nations cannot fully contain the destructive elements in their world, how can they influence those who permit destructive elements to guide policy in the Western society?

© The News Insider 2000

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