Sunday, July 27, 2008

Walid Jumblat's interview on New TV today was quite a show. He basically moved from channeling Elliott Abrams to channeling...George Habash. For some reason, I kept thinking of the various Zionist fanatics/neo-conservative Americans who have been saluting and singing the praise of one of the most unprincipled politicians in the Middle East. George Will once said that George H.W. Bush was one of the most unprincipled people in U.S. politics, and Jumblat is the one in Lebanon. How will they now adjust to the re-adjustments of their friend Walid Jumblat? What will Dennis Ross say now? All those people who showered praise on him in his last WINEP appearance, how will they react now? I never have seen somebody utter the word Palestine more than Jumblat this evening. I kid you not. It was even comical. Hell, he talked about Palestine more than...Angry Arab. It was like: Hi...Palestine. Good...Palestine...Evening.I..Palestine...am...Palestine..glad...Palestine...to...Palestine...be...Palestine..with...Palestine....He said that his father, and even Rafiq Hariri died for..Palestine--he did not explain the last one. He said that March 14th got too sequestered in an isolationist position and that they have ignored the "constant principles" of his struggle: Palestine and Arabism and resistance. He went on about the importance of Palestine and Arabism. He substantially softened his rhetoric against Syria, so much so that I am certain that MEMRI will not send a special bulletin of this particular interview. He was nice about his friend "Condy" and he clearly implied that his "friend", former U.S. ambassador in Lebanon, Geoffrey Feltman, privately expressed to him views critical of the Bush administration stance toward Palestine. He did not forget to send salutations to "the Arab knight"--his ritualistic reference to the Saudi King. He said that the Bush administration was way too late in addressing Palestine, and at one point blamed the Lebanese crisis (over the issue of airport security and Hizbullah's communication network) in May to a press leak by..."Imperialism and Zionism." I am not making this up. He used those words. He spoke about the need to re-educate his own party on Palestine and Arabism. He criticized his allies in March 14th, and accused them of racism against Palestinians and Syrians. He said that he only visited the U.S. to ask for the overthrow of the Syrian regime at first, but later only to ask for their help regarding the international hariri tribunal. He said that he is disillusioned with the U.S. administration and its policies and mocked the dispatch of the Cole destroyer to the waters off Lebanon. It was quite a show of political opportunism. He defended his embrace of Samir Al-Quntar, and said that some of his March 14 allies have blamed him for his recent rhetoric about resistance, and his implicit blame of the Hariri camp for the clashes in Tripoli. He now wants "normal relations" with the Syrian regime. He also mocked Now Lebanon website, and clearly implied that they represent pro-U.S. Shi`ites. He also speak about oppression in the Arab world as if all Arab countries are free and democratic except Syria. He admitted that his party is a sectarian Druze party, but named four non-Druzes in his party as if that proves anything. Equally repulsive, will be the Hizbullah's coming political flirtation with him in response.