Two articles published recently in the London-based Arabic daily al-Hayat suggest that Arab governments may be making a decisive change in their dealings toward the Palestinians. One was a March 30 article, The Amir of Qatar: ‘The Palestinians Have Proven that Reform and Peace Can Go Together’. The article, citing remarks of the Amir of Qatar Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani at the “Fifth Doha Conference for Democracy and Free Trade,” wrote:

‘The search for reform and the search for peace in the region can go together without conflict or contradiction,’ remarking that ‘our Palestinian brothers have proven this by proceeding by means of democracy and the path of peaceful settlement at the same time.’ And the Amir of Qatar said that the path of change through democracy and economic freedom ‘will not be completed if they are not supported by sincere desire’… within a framework of the development of educational institutions and the completion of foundational legislation and enabling the rule of law by abiding by its requirements…

These comments are significant because they are in direct contradiction to what Arab governments, in particular Syria and Iraq, have argued for decades: that the lifting of martial law and the introduction of political pluralism were luxuries that would have to be put off during the struggle against Israel. This, of course, trapped Arabs into a warped circle, as Syria and Iraq would fund terrorist attacks against Israel, thus preventing the achievement of peace, and thus further justifying limits on individual freedoms.

The other al-Hayat article that I thought notable was published on March 27 (no link because I can’t find it on the newspaper’s website anymore, but I printed it out when I read it), and was headlined “101 Million Dollars from Algeria, Kuwait and Qatar to the Palestinian Authority.” The article noted that Algeria has contributed 50 million, Kuwait 40 million, and Qatar 20 million to the Arab League’s fund for Palestinian aid.

The casual observer might ask, what is the big deal here? Haven’t Arab governments always supported the Palestinians? Yet the fact is that the Arab League has always been 90% anti-Israel and maybe 10% pro-Palestinian. Aside from Jordan, no Arab country has made any effort to help Palestinian refugees, but if anything they have intentionally prolonged their plight for political purposes. If Arab governments are now supporting a “Palestinian cause” which involves helping Palestinians build a real future, this would be a significant turn for the better.

Contributed by Kirk H. Sowell of Window on the Arab World, and More!