The 23rd Obsession

There are 22 Muslim states in the world, covering a very large area of territory along with a good chunk of the world's supply. One might think that any reasonable person might consider that to be sufficient for anyone's ambitions. Yet we read over and over again about the obesession the rest of the world has with creating a 23rd Arab state, and on an oil-free patch of land to boot!

Like Bill Clinton before him, George W. Bush has tried, in the final year of his president, to midwife into existence something that has never existed, contrary to the imaginations of the Arab propaganda machine, in the history of the world: a country called Palestine.

Just like Clinton, Bush failed to grasp the actual mechanics behind the push for this new country and why his efforts were guaranteed to fail.

One must remember a few things in order to truly understanding how the Middle East works:

1) The people of any given country, or wanna-be country, have no actual say or influence on how their country runs. Actual decision making always falls on the chief thug/dictator/monarch of the country and his close, personal friends/advisors. The entire populace might want something but if the leader doesn't, it won't happen.

2) The so-called Palestinian leadership isn't interested in the establishment of a Palestinian state. Neither are any important leaders in the Arab world. They interested in the destruction of Israel and any steps that lead towards a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Arab problem are therefore seen as negative by this leadership.

3) Arab states are generally run as incompetent kleptocracies. If it wasn't for oil and the international drug trade, they'd all be broke. In order to keep their people from figuring this out, it has become de rigeur for the Arab leadership to blame all their problems on Israel. We can't afford good health care because of Israel. We can't advance to First World status because of Israel. Israel, Israel, Israel, it's all the Jews' fault!

As a result, Arafat's decision to torpedo the Camp David initiative in 2000 despite being offered 99.5% of what he had demanded without being forced to make any commitments in return, other than recognize Israel as a peaceful neighbour, failed. Had Camp David succeeded, how could the Arabs then turn around and blame Israel for all their problems?

The next sure sign which was ignored by all the peaceniks came after the retreat from 'Aza. When asked by the press why his people were still shelling southern Israel with rockets despite the Israelis having pulled out, Chief Thug Abbas simplied replied: When we said withdrawal, we meant to the 1947 partition boundaries, not the 1967 armistice lines.

Ehud Olmert, in his final days of power, is desperately trying anything to dismember Israel as a final show of revenge against the country which never really appreciated his self-perceived genius. But it is George W. Bush who will ride into the sunset unfulfilled as his promises of a 23rd Arab state by the end of 2008 fail to materialize.

In truth, they will never materialize, because the Arabs don't want one!

(Thank you to Brooklynwolf for spotting a factual error in this post)