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<h1 class="title">Saudi Crocodile Tears Over Gaza</h1>
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<div class="times"> <span class="posted"> Posted: <time
datetime="2014-07-28T16:38:09-04:00"> 07/28/2014 4:38 pm EDT
</time> </span> <span class="updated"> Updated: <time
datetime="2014-07-28T18:59:03-04:00"> 07/28/2014 6:59 pm EDT<br>
<b><small><small><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-hearst/saudi-crocodile-tears-ove_b_5628185.html?fb_action_ids=10103335615955693&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-hearst/saudi-crocodile-tears-ove_b_5628185.html?fb_action_ids=10103335615955693&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582</a></small></small></small></b><br>
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<p>It is tough work being the Saudi ambassador to the UK. First,
you have to stir yourself into action to deny the undeniable:
The Israeli attack on Gaza comes with Saudi backing. That, in
itself, is demeaning. But no sooner has your wrath been
righteously expressed, than a colleague contradicts you. Worse
still, he's the boss's brother. What is a prince to do?</p>
<p>In his reply to my<a
href="http://middleeasteye.net/columns/saudi-israeli-alliance-forged-blood-601611381"
target="_hplink"> column</a>, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al
Saud <a
href="http://embassies.mofa.gov.sa/sites/uk/EN/AboutDiplomaticMission/MissionNews/Pages/ennews26072014.aspx"
target="_hplink">wrote</a>: "To think that Saudi Arabia, which
has committed itself to supporting and protecting the rights of
all Palestinians to self-determination and sovereignty would
knowingly support the Israeli action is quite frankly a
grotesque insult." He then admits "dealings" between the Kingdom
and Israel but claims those "limited to bring about a plan for
peace." Then he says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"The Palestinian people are our brothers and sisters -whether
they are Muslim Arabs or Christian Arabs. Be assured we, the
people and Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will
never ever give up on them, we will never do anything to harm
them, we will do all we can to help them in their rightful
claim to their own homeland and return of lands taken
illegally from them."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Hardly was the ink dry on this official news release, when
Prince Turki al-Faisal, Bin Nawaf's predecessor as UK
ambassador, former intelligence chief and the brother of the
current foreign minister wrote in<a
href="http://m.arabi21.com/Story/765080" target="_hplink">
al-Sharq al-Awast </a>that Hamas was to blame for firing
rockets and for refusing to accept Egypt's ceasefire plan (which
would have disarmed them). This is Israel's and Egypt's view
too.</p>
<p>So which is it? Does the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia support
Palestinians in their resistance to the occupation? Or does it
support the siege manned by Israel and Egypt, until Gaza is
demilitarized? These are two clear policies -- support for the
Palestinian resistance to the occupation and ending the siege of
Gaza, or keeping the siege in place until all factions in Gaza
are disarmed. Either Israel is engaging in genocide (strong
words, Mr. Ambassador) or the resisters are terrorists who must
be disarmed. Decide what it is you want the Kingdom to say. You
can't say both. You can't swear allegiance to the Palestinians
and give a nod and a wink to their killers. </p>
<p>And are the kingdom's dealings with Israel really "limited to
bring about a plan for peace"? You are privy to the cables, Mr.
Ambassador. Tell us what passed between Prince Bandar and the
Mossad director Tamir Pardo at that hotel in Aqaba in November
last year. The Jordanians leaked it to an<a
href="http://www.ereverev.co.il/article.asp?id=19782"
target="_hplink"> Israeli newspaper in Eilat</a>. Were Bandar
and Pardo: 1. soaking up the winter sun, 2. talking about the
Arab Peace Initiative, or 3. plotting how to bomb Iran? </p>
<p>And why are your new friends the Israelis being so loquacious?
Why, to take the latest example, did Dan Gillerman, Israeli
ambassador to the UN 2003-08, say at the weekend that
"representatives from the Gulf states told us to finish the job
in Gaza time and again." Finish the job? Killing over 1,000
Palestinians, most of them civilian. Is that what you meant when
you said "we will never do anything to harm them"?</p>
<p>The carnage in Gaza at least gives the world clear sight of the
protagonists. The wonder of it is that all are American allies,
three have US bases on their soil and a fourth is a member of
Nato. America's problems in the Middle East are more to do with
their sworn allies than their sworn enemies. </p>
<p>On one side, stands Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab
Emirates and Jordan. They consider themselves the voice of
reason and moderation, but their methods are violent -- the
military coup in Egypt and the attack on Gaza have all happened
in the space of 12 months. On the other, stands Turkey, Qatar,
the Muslim Brotherhood and its affliate Hamas. </p>
<p>We should, however, talk of governments rather people, because
one reason why the government of Saudi Arabia has such an
extreme position on Hamas and the Brotherhood in general, is
that it knows full well that its own people don't share their
view.</p>
<p>Saudi Arabia's leading pollster Rakeen found that 95 percent
out of a representative sample of 2,000 Saudis supported the
continuation of the Palestinian resistance factions. Only three
per cent did not. Eighty-two percent supported the firing of
rockets into Israel and 14 percent opposed it. The kingdom's
hatred of Islamism stems not from the fact that it presents a
rival interpretation of Islam. It is that it presents to a
believer, a democratic alternative. That is what really scares
the monarchy.</p>
<p>The proof of all those secret Saudi-Israeli meetings is to be
seen in the behavior of Egypt. It is impossible to believe that
its new president Abdel Fattah al Sisi could act towards Hamas
in Gaza independently of his paymasters in Riyadh. He who pays
the piper -- $5 billion after the coup, $20 billion now -- calls
the tune. </p>
<p>Sisi sees Hamas entirely through the prism of the Muslim
Brotherhood he deposed last year. Hamas is villified in the
lickspittle Egyptian press as the enemy of Egypt. A trickle of
aid has been allowed through the border crossing at Rafah, and
it is sporadically opened to a few thousand wounded
Palestinians. The Israeli Army is not alone in blowing up Hamas'
tunnels. The Egyptian army announced recently they had blown up
13 more, a deed which earned them the title of being "a sincere
neighbor" of Israel. Sisi is content to let Hamas and Gaza take
a hammering, and make no efforts to get a ceasefire. The last
initiative was not even negotiated with Hamas. </p>
<p>Mubarak made a similar miscalculation during the 2006 incursion
into Lebanon, supporting an operation which he believed would
cripple Hezbollah. In the end he was forced to send his son
Gamal to Beirut to express Egypt's support for the Lebanese
people. Both the kingdom and Sisi know that dropping the
Palestinian card is a risky business. </p>
<p>Saudi Arabia is treading a fine line. According to my sources,
Netanyahu's rejection of Kerry's peace initiative over the
weekend was due in part to the full support of its Arab allies.
Saudi Arabia's active support is keeping this brutal war going.</p>
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