By Munir K. Nasser
Chief Correspondent, Washington, DC
Albawaba.com
A senior US diplomat said that the United States can no longer dismiss the impact of public opinion in the Arab states and warned that traditional Arab regimes “will be increasingly difficult to sustain.”
Edward Walker, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, told a conference audience in Washington this week that Arab leaders have to “confront and deal with the outrage” of their people against Israel’s response to the Palestinian uprising. “We can no longer dismiss the impact of public opinion in the Arab states. And we have to learn to factor it into our own policy,” he said.
Walker predicted that what this says for the future is very disturbing. “Traditional governing in the Middle East will be increasingly difficult to sustain and leaders with no popular foundation will have to pander to the baser instincts of the Arab street to survive,” he explained. “The antidote is not less freedom or greater control of the media, it is more freedom—freedom to engage in and influence the political process. If we want to prevent polarization and instability in the Middle East, we are going to have to pay a lot more attention and resources to building civil societies and developing democratic mechanisms,” he stated.
Walker urged his administration to “take a hard look” at the criticism directed at the US by the Arab world and called for “a major rethink of the way we deal with this new generation” of Arab leaders. “The new kings, emirs, and presidents grew up in a different environment than did their fathers, “ he said. “They bring new perspectives and ideas to their new positions. Even with new insights, however, these leaders are severely constrained by the political structures they have inherited and by the new populism of the street,” he argued.
Walker related to the audience what one young Arab leader told Secretary Madeleine Albright during her recent trip to the region. In criticizing the US approach to the peace process, he told her: “You are trying to download an IBM software in an Apple machine.” Walker said this statement was “Rather extraordinary both in terms of the conceptual approach but particularly in the imagery used.”
Walker warned of the danger of “an upsurge in religious intolerance and hostility in the region as a result of the recent violence. “It is no longer the Arab-Israeli conflict,” he said. “It is becoming the Jewish-Islamic conflict. If such a transformation happens, God help us all,” he remarked.
He blamed both Arabs and Jews for lack of knowledge of each other’s religion, culture, and history. “I have had Arab leaders ask me: ‘What is this Temple Mount?’ And I have had Israelis ask me why the Haram el Sharif is so important? The ignorance of Islam in this country is appalling. The ignorance of Judaism in the Arab world is equally incomprehensible. And I am a firm believer that ignorance breeds fear and intolerance,” he stressed.
Walker said the communication revolution is changing the Arab world, but warned that satellite broadcasts in the region are contributing to prejudices on both sides. “Regional services provide ample opportunity for callers and opinionated analysts to help enflame the current situation, not calm it. And their populist approach tends to appeal to the average person’s worst prejudices,” he said.
Walker said the difficulty in implementing the Sharm el Sheikh truce agreement is “that the popular resentment and anger has not been assuaged and it continues to drive mass demonstrations that lead to confrontations and more deaths on a daily basis,” he argued. He announced that the US is now working with UN Secretary General Kofi Anan and the parties to establish a credible and objective mechanism for fact-finding. “We are not looking for recriminations and blame, but to build bridges between the peoples,” he stated.
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
