What citizens of other countries are reading about the Middle East.
By COMPILEDTHE MEDIA LINEUnemployed protesters shout slogans during a demonstration demanding the government provide them with job opportunities, as Tunisia marks the sixth anniversary of the country’s 2011 revolution, in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia, this month(photo credit: REUTERS)January in Tunisian collective memory Al-Safir, Lebanon, January 17January is a difficult month for the Tunisian people. Its violent history is deeply embedded in their collective memory.In January 1978, the Tunisian government, led by president Habib Bourguiba, attempted to dissolve all labor unions in the country, leading to extensive public clashes. The regime deployed the army into the streets, leading to the death of hundreds of innocent civilians within just a few days. This massacre marked the beginning of the end of Bourguiba’s regime.Another series of events that took place in January were the bread riots of 1984, in which millions of Tunisians took the streets against the removal of subsides on bread. The extensive public unrest pushed the government to reverse its decision, teaching the Tunisian people, for the first time ever, that their voices do matter.Then came January 2011, when the entire Arab world broke out in protests and demanded free democratic elections. In Tunisia, a month-long revolution led to the ousting of president Ben Ali, who fled the country and found exile abroad.January remains a month in which the Tunisian people come together in unity to demonstrate against their grievances and injustices. This January has been relatively quiet, with the exception of a few local protests.But this might change. Six years have passed since the Arab Spring, and genuine reforms have still not been implemented in Tunisia. If the government is interested in preserving Tunisia’s current stability, it must learn the lessons of history and listen to the will of the people. Otherwise, this January, too, will be remembered as one of turmoil and unrest.– Salah al-Din al-Jawarshi The enemy shall fall from within Al-Araby al-Jadeed, London, January 19There are some important geopolitical changes unfolding around us. One of them is the new American administration, which has been met with mixed reactions around the world.The Israelis and their allies have celebrated Trump’s accession to power. They are talking about expanding West Bank settlements, moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and further actions on Palestinian lands.However, they have overlooked a major cause of concern: Trump’s unequivocal statement during his campaign regarding Israel’s need to be accountable for its own security spending. Trump is putting America first.Writing a big fat check to Israel is not his top priority.The Israelis, ironically, continue to view their country as an empire. They have been historically backed, armed and funded by Western powers. They have enjoyed diplomatic support in international forums and organizations. Throughout the years, they have risen to power and established a strong army. But the very same walls they have built to protect themselves from their neighbors are also leaving the Israelis blind to the world around them. Israelis are full of pride, arrogance and vanity. Like all major empires in the history of mankind, their collapse will come from within. Just like in an autoimmune disease that attacks the body from the inside, through the reproduction of deadly cells, so, too, will Israel destroy itself.Do not misinterpret what I am saying; this should not make us complacent in our struggle against Zionism.But we can also take a moment to celebrate the small cracks that are beginning to emerge in the wall.One of them is the Israeli obsession with the new American administration; an obsession that might leave them weaker than they ever thought.– Helmi al-Asmar Trump has absolutely nothing to lose Al-Sharq al-Awsat, London, January 19When president Barack Obama stepped into office in 2009, expectations of him skyrocketed. Just a few months after being elected he was already awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and then spent most of his term – eight whole years – trying to lower these expectations, but to no avail. Even those closest to Obama will today admit that the exaggerated enthusiasm that accompanied his rise to power has also been Obama’s biggest weakness. It paved way for the deep disappointment with his policies at home and frustration with his indecisiveness abroad.Unlike him, President Donald Trump is entering the White House with zero expectations. In fact, people are surprised by the mere fact that the president is able to sit through an entire interview and answer questions. I cannot remember a single president who stepped into office with so much disdain and antipathy.This is a sad reality, but it means good news from Trump: from here, he can only go up. His biggest weakness is also his biggest strength.The question now remains: will this be enough for Trump to succeed? The answer is probably no. But Trump would be smart to learn from his predecessor’s mistakes. Obama based his presidency on delivering the opposite platform to that promoted by Bush. He made far-fetched promises at the beginning of his term that he later failed to meet. He was a great orator, but a weak statesman.Trump should put aside his “Make America Great Again” campaign. If he is wise enough, he will refrain from making empty promises. He will not base his presidency on countering everything Obama has achieved.Instead, he will roll up his sleeves, surround himself with smart advisers, and get to work. If he doesn’t fail, he will already be applauded. If he surprisingly succeeds, he will flourish and triumph.– Amir TahariIsrael’s mistreating of Negev’s Beduin Al-Ayaam, Ramallah, January 17This week, the Israeli cabinet rejected a five-year plan intended to improve the lives of Palestinian Beduin living in the Negev desert, to which the sum of NIS 3 billion ($850 million) was originally allocated.There is nothing Netanyahu’s cabinet fears more than the accusation that it supports and appeases the Arab citizens of Israel. Therefore, anytime a government investment of this sort is announced, it is accompanied by severe punitive measures against the Palestinian population in the West Bank – such as increased demolition of homes, land seizures and eviction notices. It is as if doing well with some Arabs can only be justified by doing harm to others.Sadly, even these measures were not enough this time, as the cabinet unanimously rejected the investment plan. The Palestinians of the Negev remain cruelly discriminated against. For years, the Israeli government has sought to erase their connection to the land by uprooting them from their native communities and resettling them in new towns. All of this was done under the pretext of “development” of infrastructure. In fact, the very same myth that allowed the seizure of Palestinian lands in 1948 is still alive and kicking in Israel today.In the eyes of the Zionists, the Negev desert is a barren land whose few inhabitants desperately crave the help and guidance of their Jewish redeemers. The fact that Beduin have lived in the desert for hundreds of years does not matter. Nor does the fact that they never requested foreign intervention in their everyday lives.The Zionist state has been doing whatever it can to assert its ownership over every piece of Palestinian land, while abusing, extorting and manipulating its native population. When it fails to do so by force, it turns to legislation. To the outside Western observer, Israel is simply trying to enforce its urban planning regulations on the Beduin. To those who understand the true politics at hand it is clear: the forced eviction and urbanization of the Beduin is just another Israeli technique to erase their connection to their native land.– Amir Abu Kudeirhttp://www.themedialine.org/
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