In an article, entitled ?Israel Needs a Regional War?, in the Saudi Arabian English-language newspaper Arab News, Hassan Tahsin makes two bold claims regarding the Middle East. The first claim is that ?Arab countries chose the path of peace a long time ago.? Yet, his own analysis of the path supposedly chosen by the Arab states, as found in Israel-Egypt and Israel-Jordan peace treaties, belies a motive far removed from peace: ?The Arab strategy was to work for a new balance of power and interests in the region. It also allowed a number of Arab countries to enter into a process of growth that may reflect positively on their strategic ability in the near future.?
The second claim is that Israel is looking to launch a major war with the Arab states, in order to destroy Arab unity, while at the same time forcing such unity on Israel, ?a society,? that the Saudi author writes, ?exists on no real foundation.? However, the Saudi columnist writes, ?it will not start its war now; it will be tied up a great deal with the American stand on Iraq. If Washington strikes at Baghdad, the war will cause dangerous turbulence within the region and this may be an opportune time for Israel to start its war.?
Externally, the newspaper column expresses concern that Israel seeks the ruination of all Araby: ?The aim of the war will be to destroy Arab capability, to destroy the development that some Arab countries have achieved and Arab unity that has long worried the Israeli leadership.? As for the claimed Israeli domestic aims, Tahsin writes, ?Without a regional war, Israel will lose a lot, both [sic] politically, economically and socially, because it will lose the reason for the gathering of all Jews of different and conflicting nationalities in this stretch of land.? Accordingly, the Saudi newspaper claims, ?It is expected now that the Israeli military organization and the terrorist religious extremist parties will have a role in pressuring the moderate right inside Israel to hold on to Sharon. Israel needs him to insure its existence. They believe him to be capable of leading the upcoming war, which Israel needs to avert any splintering that would destroy a society that exists on no real foundation.?
The second claim is that Israel is looking to launch a major war with the Arab states, in order to destroy Arab unity, while at the same time forcing such unity on Israel, ?a society,? that the Saudi author writes, ?exists on no real foundation.? However, the Saudi columnist writes, ?it will not start its war now; it will be tied up a great deal with the American stand on Iraq. If Washington strikes at Baghdad, the war will cause dangerous turbulence within the region and this may be an opportune time for Israel to start its war.?
Externally, the newspaper column expresses concern that Israel seeks the ruination of all Araby: ?The aim of the war will be to destroy Arab capability, to destroy the development that some Arab countries have achieved and Arab unity that has long worried the Israeli leadership.? As for the claimed Israeli domestic aims, Tahsin writes, ?Without a regional war, Israel will lose a lot, both [sic] politically, economically and socially, because it will lose the reason for the gathering of all Jews of different and conflicting nationalities in this stretch of land.? Accordingly, the Saudi newspaper claims, ?It is expected now that the Israeli military organization and the terrorist religious extremist parties will have a role in pressuring the moderate right inside Israel to hold on to Sharon. Israel needs him to insure its existence. They believe him to be capable of leading the upcoming war, which Israel needs to avert any splintering that would destroy a society that exists on no real foundation.?