Indeed, for Arabs, it is all ‘soap'
THE Sykes-Picot Agreement was the final nail in the coffin of the Ottoman Empire. The Balfour Declaration then marked the next phase in the division of influence between Britain and France, leading to a significant increase in Jewish immigration to Palestine. Even before that fateful declaration was issued, when Jewish settlements began to be established in Palestine in 1908, Palestinian landowners were wary of this development.
However, they did not actively prevent the new settlements. As events accelerated after World War I, the Arabs lacked the military power needed to halt the process of Judaization. Meanwhile, Europe provided financial support to the new settlers, who succeeded in establishing a network of settlements and forming a self-defense force. After World War II, Europe and Germany, seeking to atone for the atrocities committed by Hitler against the Jews, facilitated the increased Jewish immigration to Palestine.
This historical context is crucial in countering attempts to displace Palestinians from their land, particularly in light of the Israeli Finance Minister's statement about relocating Gaza's population to a third country. For nearly two decades, several Arab countries have witnessed civil wars and internal divisions. Yet, despite this, the slogan 'Free Palestine' continues to be raised, while actions often move in the opposite direction, or as we say in Kuwaiti slang, 'praying towards the east.'
Since 1948, false accusations have been leveled against the late Egyptian King Farouk, claiming his involvement in the use of defective weapons during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. He was also accused of being reactionary and of collaborating with the West and the Zionist movement. These accusations were used to justify Major Jamal Abdel Nasser's coup against the king in 1952 and the secession of Sudan from Egypt. Such claims were also exploited by power-seekers in different Arab countries. This period marked the beginning of a wave of revolutions (coups) that swept through the Arab world, starting with Iraq and Syria, followed by a failed coup attempt in Lebanon, Yemen, and Libya.
In 1969, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi led a coup that ousted King Idris Al-Senussi in Libya. I still remember the chants of the demonstrators in Tripoli that day, shouting, 'The Devil is better than Idris.' It is said that when King Idris Al- Senussi heard those chants, he prayed to God that Libya be ruled by the Devil. We all know the history of Gaddafi after the success of his coup and how he adopted the liberation of Palestine as his slogan.
However, Gaddafi went too far in threatening Arab rulers, intervening in the Lebanese civil war, and attempting to invade Chad, instead of directing his army to liberate Palestine. In 2011, Muammar Gaddafi's regime collapsed, and he was killed in one of the most brutal ways. Following his death, militia leaders took control of various regions in Libya. Despite being a country rich in natural resources, with beautiful coastlines and fertile land, Libya has been reduced to ruins since 1969.
This is similar to what the Ba'ath Party regime did in Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, who also raised the slogan of liberating Palestine. Saddam even went so far as to declare the formation of the 'Jerusalem Army.' However, instead of marching into Palestine, he invaded Kuwait. What has recently transpired in Libya, with Abdul Ghani al-Kikli, also known as 'Ghaniwa al-Kikli,' attempting to seize control of the country's resources and loot the central bank, mirrors what gangs in Somalia and Iraq have done. It has become evident that the slogan of liberating Palestine is often nothing more than a justification or pretext for theft and the illegal assumption of power.
Even Palestinian factions, who are supposed to be the most dedicated to their cause, are not exempt from this behavior. This is why the proverb 'It is all soap to the Arabs,' which has been a hallmark of Arab culture since the year 800, when Ibn Khaldun referenced it in his book 'Ibn Khaldun and the Arabs', seems especially relevant today. What is happening in the Middle East is the result of a long history of division and discord, often at the expense of peoples and nations. In the end, as the saying goes, for Arabs, it is all 'soap'.
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Kuwait Times
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Arab Times
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Kuwait Times
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