Arabs, still in shock over the Freedom Flotilla massacre, were hoping the Arab League meeting would call for strong action. The obvious demand of the public was for Arab governments to break the crippling Israeli siege of Gaza, which has been sucking the life out of the Strip for the past three years.
The siege, imposed by Israel, is a violation of all international laws and humanitarian norms. The United Nations Security Council has called repeatedly for an end to the blockade. So has the European Union. But Israel dismissed every call. Not only that, it went ahead and massacred, in front of the whole world, the peace activists who tried to deliver urgently needed food and medical supplies to Gaza.
On Wednesday night, Arab foreign ministers met in response to the massacre. The result of the meeting was not only disappointing but in fact embarrassing.
"The Arab League will go to the Security Council and demand lifting of the blockade from Gaza," Secretary-General Amr Mousa told reporters after the meeting.
What a waste of time. Arab governments want the Security Council to ask for the blockade to end. This amounts to a cruel joke.
First, the blockade was not imposed by the UN. Secondly, why would Israel listen to the UN now when it has been defying the will of the international community for years?
Thirdly, the UN on Tuesday called for an investigation into the Freedom Flotilla massacre and Israel rebuffed the call outright.
Arab ministers surely know these facts. The conclusion then is that they don't actually want to act. Inaction is the real name of the ridiculous statement issued by the Arab League meeting.
The question on every Arab's mind today is why Arab governments don't just go ahead and break the siege of Gaza.
