Violence amid the protests

Many Arab cities have seen angry demonstrations in protest against Israel's military offensive in the Palestinian territories. Some of these demonstrations turned into a confrontation between police and the demonstrators in Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain.

The furious crowd burned the Israeli and American flags, smashed windows and threw Molotov cocktails at the U.S. embassy. The police intervened by using tear gas, water cannons and by arresting a number of protestors.
The Arab press examined the wave of protest across Arab cities.

The Palestinian Intifada has the merit of breaking 'Arab street' silence that somehow substitutes the inertness of Arab officials, writes Abdullah Al Sweji in Al Khaleej (UAE).

Millions of Arabs marched in several countries to express their support for the Palestinians.

Some of these demonstrations were held directly by the governments or had official permission; others were simply improvised and spontaneous. These demonstrations differed from one place to another according to this country's ties with Israel. In some places the marches were pacifist; in others, the police had to intervene to disperse protestors by force.

These rallies and demonstrations denouncing Israel's barbaric aggression called on Arab officials to react more effectively to rescue the Palestinians, who are in vital need of political, financial and moral support.

Indeed, the Arab population confirmed its full partnership in the making of political decisions and reaffirmed its firm attachment to the constant Palestinian demands symbolised by the end of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, the suspension of normalisation of ties with Israel and the Arab status of Jerusalem, adds Al Sweji.

The demonstrators also expressed their fusion, their common interests and common faith as Arabs, refuting the fact that their concerns are confined to national territories. Millions of Arabs have effectively demonstrated they will come in rescue of their suffering brothers in Palestine, concludes Al Sweji.

Thanks to the events in the Occupied Territories, the Arab population has finally expressed publicly its support for the Palestinian people and its rejection of Israeli military actions committed with the complicity of the U.S., calling on Arab governments to support the Palestinians more strongly, writes Abdel Malek Salman in Al Watan (Oman).

It is important to notice that all social categories and all age brackets were represented in these demonstrations, men together with women, students and elders all participated, adds Salman.

Besides protests and slogans, these demonstrations expressed the true spirit of solidarity, they were the occasion for fund-raising and blood donations in support of the injured and refugees in the Palestinian territories, says Salman.

Solidarity committees that emerged from this improvised solidarity called for the revival of an embargo against both Israeli and U.S. products, in order to force firms that are supporting Israel to reconsider their priorities, adds Salman.

These mass movements clearly show the Arab population's determination to play a more effective role after a long period of inaction and disinterest in the political field, says Salman.

But some writers have criticised violence in these demonstrations.

Dawood Al Sharyan writing in Al Hayat (UK based) deplored that some of these protest marches turned into violent confrontation between the demonstrators and the police forces. Indeed, for some protesters the demonstrations were a means of change or letting off anger.

Instead of expressing their opposition to the U.S. policy, they declared war against it and started pelting its embassy with stones and Molotov cocktails. Faced with such a situation, the police forces had to interfere to prevent the mob from destroying and vandalising, says Al Sharyan.

The absence of democracy and true freedom of expression drives the Arab citizens to express their despair and frustration in such a violent manner, causing serious damage to the property of fellow citizens, adds Al Sharyan.

In opposition to the European citizen who does not use external events to express his rejection of the economic and political policies in his country, the Arab demonstrator who is in real need of democracy and freedom takes advantage of the suffering of the Palestinians to change the internal political situation in his own country, says Al Sharyan.

Under these circumstances and as long as Arab countries lack democracy, their governments can only ban or suppress these demonstrations, concludes Al Sharyan sarcastically.

The peaceful image of Bahrain was recently tarnished by violence and scuffles with security forces during the demonstrations, as if the protest was not against the American policy but against Bahrain's stability and economic prosperity, writes Samir Attallah in Asharq Al-Awsat (UK-based).

The newly adopted constitution in Bahrain, guaranteeing more freedom and rights should not be awarded with disturbance, says Attallah. In fact, only one month has passed since the constitutional amendment and the Bahrainis should have grabbed this opportunity to show they really deserve freedom instead of creating trouble, adds Attallah.

Neither the unrest nor the aggression of security forces and properties are the expression of freedom. Indeed, 100,000 people demonstrating quietly are more efficient than thousands of violent demonstrations conducted by a gang of outlaws, says Attallah.

The demonstration that took place in Morocco was a perfect example of civic sense; it was a protest against the American policy, not against Morocco, its institutions, its economy or its streetlights, concludes Attallah.

Slogans and burned flags won't liberate Palestine, only the military resistance of its people will, writes Ibrahim Rashid Al Duaij in Al Seyassah (Kuwait). The Palestinian fighters need essentially financial and logistical support from their fellow Arab countries and not demonstrations in which the crowd burns the American flag.

Such acts that lack civility cause embarrassment to Kuwait and its government with its ally the U.S., who helped Kuwait to regain its independence after the Iraqi invasion, adds Al Duaij.

The Kuwaitis should reconsider the recent demonstrations because such behaviour does not necessarily serve the interests of their country, concludes Al Duaij.