COWARD ARABS! [Archives:2002/11/Viewpoint]

I put the above title within quotations just as it came out from one of the Palestinian mothers whose son was killed by Israeli tank missiles last week. She desperately shouted coward Arabs at the TV camera expressing her disappointment at Arabs everywhere. Some may argue that she should not have generalized, but she probably used the famous proverb in the meaning that what is seldom is unaccounted for.
Well, let us analyze the justice in the above statement. The reaction of the woman came following the day in which more than 50 Palestinians were killed. In my opinion, the reaction is normal in a time Arabs are watching Palestinians killed by the most advanced weapons on this planet. The mothers son was killed and his corpse was turned into burnt pieces of flesh. What else should we expect?
Many Western countries did condemn those atrocities and call for a halt of the Israeli aggression. Demonstrations were there in the USA and in many European capitals and elsewhere. Yet, we, Arabs, are watching as if all of this doesnt concern us whatsoever.
Arent the mothers words justifiable if we are on the verge of starting a summit that holds little hope of saving the situation? It is truly unbelievable how Arabs are going on in their own lives regardless of how many Palestinians are killed and even when prominent Palestinian leaders are assassinated.
Arent her words justifiable if we see Arabs talking too much and expressing their concern, anger, frustration, condemnation, while doing nothing on the ground? Arent her words justifiable if our Arab leaders could not be convinced to boycott Israel in even the simplest of ways to show that we can exert some pressure on the Jewish state?
Arent her words justifiable if we see that she has nothing more to lose, nothing to worry about, and nothing to care for after her loved ones have passed away and she could do nothing about it ,including waiting for Arabs to come to the rescue?
The situation reminds me with that when Arafat was put under house arrest in Ramallah. What was the Arabs response? I can hardly remember any condemnation that came out strongly out from our leaders. As if they want to say What do we have to do with this?
What has gone wrong with us? Where is the national pride and dignity that we used to have in the past? How can we expect to regain Palestinian land in a time we demonstrate the most extreme of crowdedness and selfishness?
Arabs and Arab leaders in particular could continue their silence and watch the battle between the Israeli crushing machine and the unarmed Palestinian civilians in front of them. But it wouldnt be an exaggeration if we say that in this way, those Arabs could as well be digging their own graves and putting themselves in the position of the next victim.
Only then will they realize how the Palestinians have suffered.

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