Iranian intervention revives an ancient enmity

[spindrifter]

Simon Tisdall
Friday July 21, 2006
The Guardian


Pro-western Arab governments have sharply criticised Hizbullah for provoking Israel's onslaught on Lebanon. Far from backing the Lebanese militia's attempt to take the fight to the Arab world's traditional enemy, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Gulf states - but not Syria - this week jointly condemned the group's "irresponsible and unacceptable acts". Their stand has come as a welcome surprise to Israel and its US backers.

The exact opposite reaction is evident on the Arab street. Sympathy for Lebanon's civilians is matched by growing outrage at Israel's response and the perceived impotence and acquiescence of Arab leaders. Official criticism of Israel is growing; Saudi Arabia toughened its stance yesterday. But if Arab calls for a ceasefire go unheeded, the credibility of the region's mostly unelected regimes, already at a post-9/11 low, could suffer another body blow, political analysts suggest.

"Hizbullah has gained a lot of respect among Arabs for the way it has taken on the Israelis," said Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding. "The time has passed when Arab governments could contemplate open confrontation with Israel because of the deep military and economic imbalances. They constantly fear that public anger over Gaza and the occupied territories could push them into a conflict that they would certainly lose. So their instinct now, as always, is to try to keep a lid on things."

Alarm about Hizbullah was also rooted in concerns in ruling circles about a Sunni-Shia schism across the Arab world, Mr Doyle said. It is almost two years since King Abdullah of Jordan warned of the advent of a Shia "crescent" stretching from Iran and Iraq to Lebanon, potentially absorbing and energising Shia minorities that populate key oil-producing areas.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/syria/story/0,,1825720,00.html