Kuwaiti Ambassador Blasts Israel

(Paris, France) Providing strong evidence that any perceived softening of hostilities between Arab nations and Israel is an illusion, the Kuwaiti Ambassador to France, Ahmed Al-Ibrahim, strongly denounced Israel at a meeting of the Arab Ambassadors Council.

From KUNA:

"In the name of the Arab Ambassadors and in my own name, I would like to stress that the Arab world has always called for the pursuit of international action in solidarity with the Palestinian people and to guarantee the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the territories occupied after 1967 and to free Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli occupation jails," Al-Ibrahim said.

The Kuwaiti Ambassador blasted Israel's human rights record, its crimes against people and property, its targeted assassinations of Palestinian "militants" and its construction of an illegal Separation Wall. Furthermore, Al-Ibrahim continued:

"Today, the Arab world follows with concern the regression of the situation in the Palestinian territories. It condemns, anew, the arbitrary policy of Israel and affirms its solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people and its permanent support for its just cause," Al-Ibrahim told KUNA that Palestinian representatives in UNESCO and participants at the Solidarity Ceremony, had expressed thanks to the Arab Ambassadors and particularly to Kuwait for its solidarity.

Strongly worded and decidedly one-sided, I'd say. In fact, Al-Ibrahim's message doesn't differ significantly from the harangues regularly spewed by Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad. And, personally, I think strapping bombs to the chests of citizens to go and kill innocent civilians disqualifies the Palestinians from being completely "brotherly." He also stated that the Golan Heights should be returned to Syria, presumably so the Arabs can resume lobbing artillery at Israeli cities and settlements.

Notably, a strong anti-Israel speech from a Kuwaiti official is somewhat contrary to the general perception that Kuwait is a moderate and pro-Western influence in the Arab world. Al-Ibrahim's words bely no sense of moderation. I wonder if his sharply critical words have something to do with the fact that he's the Kuwaiti Ambassador to France, speaking in Arabic at a public gathering in Paris, with all of the French Muslims listening. In other words, I suspect his target audience was the French Muslim population and not the Arab Ambassadors Council.

To continue, everyone would agree that the French Muslims don't need to be fired up for any reason related to France. They have successfully fired up the country in a big way with the recent torch and riot episodes in hundred of cities and towns. However, it's not unreasonable to suggest that the French Muslims' ire, redirected, could potentially provide benefit to the Palestinian cause through donated funds or imported fighters. Chad Evans at ITB addressed this issue recently.

Companion post at In The Bullpen.