Jan. 25/’For the time being, however, the lesson that Israelis take away from three weeks of war is one that has echoed throughout the country’s history: that being strong is always preferable to being popular.’
Jan.25/’Like other Sunni regimes such as Egypt and Jordan, the Saudis have come under popular pressure to respond to Israel’s assault on Gaza.They fear being seen as part of a US-Israeli front against Shia Iran and its allies, including Hamas...it would be foolish to underestimate the anger’
Jan. 23/’Last week King Abdullah warned that the Arab peace initiative that he had sponsored in 2002 - offering Israel normal relations with the whole Arab world if it withdrew from all lands occupied in 1967 - was still on the table, but would not remain forever.’
'That can only come over years of a sustained and consistent strategy to develop a real market economy which would provide a better livelihood for farmers than the dangerous and volatile drugs business.'