KUWAIT CITY â Some Kuwaiti newspapers have taken the unpopular step of calling for normalisation of relations with the old enemy Israel, following similar moves by other Arab countries.The comments in prominent papers in recent weeks mark a departure from the norm in the Gulf Arab country where hostility to the Jewish state still runs deep in society. âAfter a long time, we have finally decided to leave the Palestinian cause to Palestinians, because
Jarallah praised moves by some Arab states, such as Tunisia and Qatar, to take a softer line on Israel.
| Someone's definitely gotten a clue. |
Yousef Al Suwaidan said Arabs should follow the example of Pakistan, whose foreign minister held ground-breaking talks with his Israeli counterpart last month after the Gaza withdrawal. "A positive Arab response at this particular time will boost the political peace process and a historic reconciliation in the Middle East," Suwaidan wrote.
But such remarks run counter to popular sentiment in Kuwait, where many Islamist and Arab nationalist politicians reject any dialogue on normalising ties with Israel. Arab anger against Israel and its ally the United States has deepened in recent years over Israel's crackdown on a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation and Washington's war in Iraq.
Despite strains in Kuwaiti-Palestinian ties during the 1990-91 Gulf crisis, Kuwait backs the Arab League's stance that an independent Palestinian state is a precondition to normal ties. "These columnists can say what they want, but will the government normalise ties? I don't think so," analyst Shamlan Al Issa told Reuters.
| Recognizing that columnists can say what they want is big progress in Arabia. |