Thursday, November 26, 2009

Nation & World

Mideast Watch by Larry Derfner

Venezuela's Chávez: the New Hero in the Arab World

January 16, 2009 11:45 AM ET | Larry Derfner | Permanent Link | Print

The new hero of the Arab street is American archenemy Hugo Chávez, the Venezuelan president who recently expelled Israel's ambassador. Reports Al Arabiya:

Since Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip began, Venezuela's president has openly and strongly criticized Israel and the United States for what he labeled the "holocaust" of the Palestinian people; his outspoken rhetoric has turned him into a hero for the Arabs resisting occupation. Venezuelan flags and portraits of Hugo Chávez have been flying high during protests across the Middle East, with people in Lebanon, Jordan and across the Palestinian territories showing their support for the left-wing South American leader.

Perhaps the main targets of Arab rage over Gaza are the leaders of moderate Arab countries. In Egypt, whose leaders are trying to mediate a truce between Israel and Gaza, criticism is growing of President Hosni Mubarak's regime for siding with Israel and the United States against the Palestinians, despite protestations of solidarity. A commentary in Daily News Egypt asserts:

Egypt's insolent propaganda machine blames the victim and is satisfied with directing meek condemnations at the assailant who would have carried out the attack in all cases, driven by a military doctrine premised on aggression and expansion and internal political ambitions that thrive on Palestinian blood.

Moderate Arab regimes catch brunt of resentment
The Gaza war has sparked a flurry of urgent calls for Arab summits, as Al Jazeera reports. These are widely seen as a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing but the region's age-old curse of Arab disunity, editorializes Lebanon's Daily Star. The Jordan Times adds:

After almost three weeks, there has not been a unified Arab position. There has been no collective political initiative that could have turned the screws on Israel long before the unimaginably horrific images from Gaza came out, that have slowly forced the West to act.

In fact, Arab countries are still squabbling whether to convene an emergency summit. After three weeks.

Tags: Israel | Middle East | Venezuela | Hugo Chávez | Gaza

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Reader Comments

Chavez A hero?

A hero of oppressing his own people. A hero of governmental corruption. A hero of deceptive elections. A hero of diminishing economic growth. A hero of depleting infrastructure. A hero of inducing murders, robberies and assaults on his own people. Look at the patterns of his speach. If it is opposing some thing the United States is supporting, then he is against it. He has no morals or original stances on anything except for opposing the USA. He gets his marching orders from Fidel Castro. Even Castro himself thinks Chavez is a spineless angry fool but won't publicly say so because Chavez is cutting him too many good deals for Cuba. Chavez has no idea what socialism is all about. He doesn't even know how it works. He doesn't know how to finance it. He just blows hot air and blames his puppets around him when something goes wrong. A hero of blowing the same stench that comes from his Daddy Father Fidel?

ANSWER TO: chavez-brutal communist

Chavez is a GREAT man. Saddam was no more a Muslim than the child killing Israelis are Jewish. You uneducated fool.

America is owned by Jews it is plain and simple. I hate the fact my taxes fund the "Jewsih" state. I am ashamed that our boys die in wars for Israel.

Iraq only got attacked because he was considered a threat to Israel.

Even Turkey (a long standing friend of Isreal has now turned its back on Israel).

ENOUGH is ENOUGH and the world is waking up!

God Bless Chavez

Tons of respect, loads of love and lots and lots of prays for Chavez>

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About the Mideast Watch Blog

Mideast Watch highlights notable stories and commentary from the Israeli and Arab press. Larry Derfner covers Israel for U.S. News and World Report and is a columnist and feature writer for the Jerusalem Post.

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