Al-Qalam 
Arab despots fell over themselves to appease Trump but were unwilling to leverage their trillions to demand a halt to Netanyahu’s genocide in Gaza, writes Iqbal Jassat.
The Trump extravaganza was thus not merely an affirmation of subservience to US power by his hosts, but a glaring reminder that they have no appetite to cross him, nor the desire to “leverage” their trillions to immediately and unconditionally demand a halt to Netanyahu’s satanic onslaught in Gaza.
In sharp contrast to the humiliating subservience of unelected Arab despots who raced with each other to shamefully bow down to American imperialism, Iran and Yemen stood out as firm, committed allies of Palestine’s freedom struggle.
The spectacle that unfolded in Riyadh, Doha and Abu Dhabi where each one of these reactionary autocrats shamefully opened the vaults of their loot to hand over trillions of dollars to the world’s most unpredictable leader Donald Trump, while down the road in Gaza millions lack food, water and medicine due directly to America’s complicity in Israel’s genocide, has been shocking though not surprising.
Whether it’s Mohamed bin Salman (MbS) of the Saudi dynasty or Mohamed bin Zayed (MbZ) of the UAE, who with the possible exception of Qatar’s Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani known to be engaged in so-called “hostage negotiations” with Hamas’s leadership, they have proven to be hostile to Palestine’s quest for freedom.
At a time when the entire world is aware that the genocide has reached frightening levels of annihilation of the entire population in Gaza, unparalleled in all wars and conflicts in history, akin to the holocaust if not worse, Arab despots smugly entertained Trump and his entourage in the most lavish fashion imaginable.
That the genocide is worse than the holocaust has been argued by Alon Mizrahi who describes himself as an “Anti-Zionist Arab Jew” in his latest “Mizrahi Perspective”: “The Nazi Holocaust was committed in the dark, and most of humanity did not see it or know about it in real time,” he tweeted, adding that the Gaza Genocide is broadcast live for the whole world to see.
Does it not raise questions about the levels of suppression or free speech within the Arab regimes as to why their respective populations, despite being aware of the bloody slaughter of their kith and kin, yet remain muted and unmoved?
As client-states of the US Empire, these regimes may reflect superficial trappings of “independence”, but the reality is that they are nowhere close to claiming sovereignty without the approval of America.
That the security of their gold-plated thrones is outsourced to the Pentagon, is borne out by the fact that the US has fortified military bases across at least nineteen sites – eight of them considered to be permanent by many regional analysts – in countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the UAE, cited by sources such as the Council on Foreign Relations.
Its military tentacles are not confined to these regions only. The US also uses large bases in Djibouti and Turkey, which are part of other regional commands but contribute significantly to American operations in the Middle East, according to the American Security Project.
It thus lays bare the conundrum facing Gulf Sheikdoms carved out during the colonial era, that notwithstanding unbridled power, wealth and prestige, they remain shackled to US dominance.
The Trump extravaganza was thus not merely an affirmation of subservience to US power by his hosts, but a glaring reminder that they have no appetite to cross him, nor the desire to “leverage” their trillions to immediately and unconditionally demand a halt to Netanyahu’s satanic onslaught in Gaza.
Standing as a beacon of hope for Palestine, in direct contrast to the collective of Arab despots, including Egypt and Jordan, is, of course, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Ansarullah of Yemen.
Despite decades of isolation and severe sanctions, Iran refused to buckle under US pressure to discard support for Palestinians and its resistance led by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
This past Friday, Iranian Speaker of Parliament Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf made an urgent appeal to the Muslim world to strengthen unity and echo the voice of the oppressed Palestinians. Speaking at Friday prayers at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Qalibaf reminded the congregation that it is a duty and an imperative not to allow “global arrogance” to continue the biggest genocide in history.
His message was loud and clear and hopefully reached the inner chambers of Trump’s Gulf allies:
“Today, the people of Gaza, including children, women and patients, expect us to be by their side. They want us to be the voice of the oppressed and not leave them alone in these difficult days.”
Today, he noted, the world’s Muslims and freedom-seeking people believe in a call by the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, to stand against the “cancerous tumour” of Israel.
He also emphasised that Iranians have always supported the Palestinian people and that they will never stop doing so despite pressure and threats. While Hezbollah in Lebanon has made supreme sacrifices in defending and advancing the cause of Palestine, including the devastating loss of its revered leader, Syed Hassan Nasrallah, it deserves admiration and respect for not wavering in its principled position despite these setbacks.
The unhidden glee and joy that many Arab despots shared with Israel during the carpet-bombings of Beirut and South Lebanon is a record of shame, not honour.
Indeed the dignity associated with Ansarullah’s bravery – again at huge cost given Yemen’s own humanitarian needs – stands in sharp contrast to the cowardice on display during the Trump jamboree.
*Iqbal Jassat is an Executive Member of the Media Review Network.
