Nakba Day Proof that Arab Spring Strategic Dilemma for “Israel”
A colleague asked me "is "Israel" trying to send a message that it doesn't care" after the bloody events of Nakba day when "Israeli" troops opened fire on protesters in Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza killing at least 15 of them and wounding many others. The truth of the matter is that this "Israeli" reaction to what was taking place on these border fronts was not planned, it was rather a hasty reaction stemming from a state of ....well let's say confusion.
Never before (as far as I can remember) has "Israel" witnessed young Palestinians together with their Arab supporters charging towards the border fences, with some of them in Syria actually breaking down the fence and entering the occupied Golan Heights. This scenario left the "Israeli's" in a very difficult situation, wondering what it should do. In the end of course the "Israeli" decision was to open fire (as is always the case), and hence "Israeli" brutality and its pure reliance on military force alone (even to deal with stone throwers from the Lebanese side of the border) was once again exposed not just to the Arab populations but also to the many foreign activists some of whom I met at Maroun Al Ras in south Lebanon.
This of course only increases the tarnishing of "Israel's" image in the public eye which in the end is having its affect (at least to some extent) on the ties between the "Israeli" government and certain other governments particularly in Europe. One famous journalist known for his sympathy for "Israel" even said that today the US is "Israel's" only friend in the world. "Israel" is of course aware of this and it is for this reason that it sought to give excuses for the criminality which it displayed on Sunday. "Israeli" for example described the demonstrations as an attempt by the Syrian regime to divert attention away from Syria' internal problems.
It also went ahead and filed complaints to the UN against both Lebanon and Syria for not fulfilling their duties at the border areas. This represents a desperate attempt to blame another party for the bloodshed caused by "Israeli" gunfire and to once again portray "Israel" as the victim instead of the aggressor. I say "desperate attempt" because anyone who was there amongst the protesters saw that a high percentage of them were young Palestinian's not affiliated with pro Syrian movements like Hamas or Hizbullah.
Just like the Arab uprisings, these people went out to demand their basic rights, which in this case was the right to return home. Furthermore the only flag which could be spotted in south Lebanon for example, was that of Palestine. But more importantly and on that same note, by saying that this was an attempt by Syria or by Hizbullah to divert attention away from Syria's internal situation, "Israel" is actually diverting attention away from the real problem: occupation. "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will continue to walk on this path and will take this same approach during his upcoming visit to Washington "IF" he is to face any pressure from the Obama administration to cede any territories to the Palestinians.
But what Netanyahu does not understand or what he ignores is exactly what the Chairman of the Knesset foreign affairs committee Shaul Mofaz said following the events of Nakba day: "understand that the reality in the Middle East has changed". This reality is that out there now is a determined Arab street full of determined youngsters who have liberated themselves from fear and who are showing that they are no less attached to Palestine than their older generations. In such a scenario even if "Israel" has the support of its "only friend" the continued occupation will be ever so costly.
