The U.S. ambassador there is very visible in his meetings over the constitution. There is the impression that the United States is driving this, and that is not a good thing. |
There already is a prevailing perception of Arab Muslim countries they are being targeted for who they are, and this storm in the U.S. plays into this. |
They are expecting a Palestinian state on President George W. Bush 's clock. |
They have been remarkably loyal to the state even under very tense circumstances. Many of them literally have cousins, sometimes brothers and sisters across the border. And yet despite that, if you look at the history of the Arabs in Israel, there's been far less violence inside, remarkably low levels inside, even under the most difficult circumstances. |
This is a positive indication since a large number of people in the Arab world don't view the current conflict as an Islam-Christian conflict. |
Those people who are going to rally behind him are going to rally behind him dead or alive, |
We often forget that there is a grass-roots level where local politics drives the reaction. If the environment remains one of despair, then the political environment is in trouble, |
Where they started having difficulty, and helping to direct and bring anger toward the United States, was taking the position that this was exploitation by politicians. While it's true at some level, it comes across as if it's missing the force of it for the vast majority of Muslims. |
You can argue that in recent years, Fahd's own personal paralysis has led to Saudi political paralysis. Abdullah is seen as in charge, but not really in charge. Fahd's physical survival has prevented anyone else from being king, and in some ways has preserved a degree of stability. |
You'll find businesses where you hear Arabic and Hebrew right next to each other. It's not perfect, don't get me wrong, but there is a high level of comfort, where people have reconciled. There are genuine friendships and genuine alliances across communal lines. |