Former US Ambassador Ryan Crocker who spent nearly four decades representing America’s interests in the Arab world, serving as US ambassador to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Kuwait as well as to Afghanistan and Pakistan on why Arab states won’t accept Palestinians fleeing war Arab States Are Giving Palestinians the Cold Shoulder. Here’s Why Politico Magazine Q & A by By Michael Hirsh 21 February 2024
Extracts: Ryan Crocker warns that the current conflict between Israel and Hamas — and its potential resolution — depend on understanding the history from the Arab side and the reluctance of other Arabs to come to the Palestinians’ aid
they would have nowhere in the Arab world to go, says former US Ambassador Ryan Crocker Despite public support for Palestinian rights, in truth nearly every Arab state has long viewed the Palestinians with “fear and loathing” Crocker says
This is especially true of Egypt, which will continue to refuse to admit Palestinians from across the border, Crocker says.
What’s noteworthy in this entire conflict since 07 October 2023 has been the lack of reaction or response from the Arab world -- six month old news but seems unchanged though hard to verify -- Google was confusing!
Saudi Arabia continues to hold the door open for a peace agreement with Israel
The UAE, Morocco and Bahrain didn’t even withdraw their ambassadors
That lack of reaction Crocker thinks, is very telling If you needed another example that Arab states are not viscerally concerned about the Palestinians and their fate, this would be it
Jordan did [withdraw their ambassador] but of course with about half of its population being Palestinian, Jordan has a particular problem
Black September, the 1970 Palestinian Liberation Organization PLO effort to overthrow the Jordanian monarchy -- failed not just because of the prowess of the Jordanian military but also because the Syrians withheld the air support for the Palestinians they had promised and that allowed the Jordanians to win the day
The Syrian air force was under command of a general named Hafez al-Assad [later ruler of Syria] whose hatred and fear of all things Palestinian was intense
All in all, the Palestinians have been hamstrung by their so-called Arab brothers That was a line Crocker picked up in Lebanon — when someone calls you “brother” you know you’ve got to watch your back
