In fact, Totten writes, in the Middle East in general one should be fooled by superficial overtures:
In From Beirut to Jerusalem, Thomas Friedman tells the story of Christian militia leader Camille Chamoun receiving flowers from his arch enemy Yasser Arafat while he was laid up in the hospital. During this time they both hoped to kill each other. “These two men,” Friedman wrote, “had sent so many young men to die in defense of their own personal power and status, and now they were sending bouquets. That was Beirut.”If this is how Arabs and Muslims treat each other, isn't it about time that Israel--and the US--wise up to Abbas and really take the statements he makes in Arabic seriously?
It is not just Beirut. It is the whole Middle East where smoke, mirrors, and false friendships are normal.[emphasis added]
Technorati Tag: Arabs and Middle East.
The former Lebanese president Camil Chamoun was a patriotic leader and was fighting in Lebanon territory to defend his country against the armed Palestinian led by Arafat which, were occupying by force part of the Lebanese territory aiming to take control on the whole country. However, the young men who were fighting with Chamoun against the armed Palestinian at that time were honored to die defending their country against the foreign enemy.
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