A Saudi newspaper warned Israel on Tuesday that any new war in the Middle East would lead to a level of Arab popular resistance unknown in previous conflicts.
A new war "will not be short and will not be limited to regular armies because it will lead to an Arab resistance different from that known in previous wars", said Al-Riyadh.
"Israel failed to defeat the Lebanese resistance, just as it is going through the nightmare of the Palestinian Intifada (uprising)," said the paper, which like all the Saudi media represents the official view.
"This Intifada has changed the conviction of the United States that the Arabs were a group of (individual) nations and that public opinion in the region had been neutralized by the successive failures of their military and political plans."
Washington knows from now on that "any confrontation will be waged directly against Arab citizens, who understand the (political) game and know who is pulling the strings", the paper said.
It was referring to pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have been staged in several Arab countries, including for the first time Gulf monarchies, since the uprising against Israeli occupation erupted nine weeks ago.
"Arab public opinion is a counter-power that Arab authorities and others must take into consideration to prevent surprises that could change the status quo" in the Middle East, Al-Riyadh said -- RIYADH (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
