Palestine-Israel is a sideshow

OP-ED: To the Arab world, Obama's Nobel leaves something to be desired, By Scott MacLeod, Los Angeles Times, December 9, 2009

Here's the sad truth: Obama's Nobel had nothing to do with the Middle East because, quite frankly, the whole Palestinian-Israeli thing doesn't really matter WRT regional stability or global peace. It is a sideshow and will remain that.

What matters is Iran-v-Saudi Arabia. The rest is for show and people who swallow Ahmadinejad's propaganda.

(Via WPR's Media Roundup)

Comments

[Javaid Akhtar]

Saudi insecurity after the Shia revolution gave Saudis the imperative to sell wahabbiasation to any vacuum that might pad themsleves some strategic depth...Espescially useful would have been an encirclment around Iran by way of Central Asia.Thats the prelude to this AFPAK muddle.One day it will become tolerated , by the Arabs ,that the Isrealis ( in the interest of of uniting against a commom enemy) can finally treat their own minorities/underlings quite freely in the accepted regional manner.

[Ted O'Connor]

We really have too much on our plate right now to be worrying about Israel. Our military is engaged in two countries, we have a ferocious drug war being fought right on our border with Mexico. In fact, Mexico needs more help than Israel. The Chief of Police in Tijuana has to travel with 15 bodyguards all of whom are in full battle dress and armed to the teeth.

Congress is busy with healtcare, jobs, and hardly has time for (but makes it) party crashers and BCS.

The President has his hands full with ordering troops to battle, taming greedy Wall St. bankers and trying to restore the economy. He does not need to get involved with one of those "handshake" photos where he beams as two men who hate each other are forced to pose for the cameras.

[Louis Heberlein]

'What matters is Iran-v-Saudi Arabia. The rest is for show and people who swallow Ahmadinejad's propaganda.'

Sad truth since Gulf War I to present. Bush I deployed troops for 'crisis' that 'threatened' Saudis, dumped Saddam army, then let it use helicopters to dump Iraq's Shiite tribes, kept the remaining Saddam regime player's capabilities and actions curtailed to please Saudis' concern over Iran influence. What puzzled me then was the toleration (and limited assistance) Iran showed for our Persian Gulf ops against Saddam's troops. Foreign minister even taped English language OK on TV. PBS/CSPAN I think.

The weird aspect of Charlie Wilson's War, followed by our bailout that led to Taliban era also reflected Saudi interests and ground rules.

There are some Saudi mid-level leaders with a broader and sophisticated insight on realistic national interests, but I have not seen them on TV or in news articles for some time.

Same is true for Iran.

[Michael]

I wouldn't call it a side show so much as one of several battlefields.