We in Israel welcome the Arab spring

[Violet_Crumble]

Shimon Peres
The Guardian
Friday 1 April 2011

The Middle East has to make a historic choice: to join the new global age of democratic peace and liberal economy, or to stay clinging to its history of closed societies and autocracy.

A great revolt has been initiated by young people and women, to gain freedom, bread and hope. Israel is watching with great expectation. These events are both unprecedented and unplanned.

The internet, Facebook and Twitter have created mass communications and social spaces that regimes cannot control. These developments allowed young people to compare notes with their contemporaries in other countries, and to see clearly how their own governments wasted wealth and time to enhance their own power while ignoring the needs of their people. It opened their eyes.

The upheaval we see today in our region is driven by a clash of generations rather than a clash of civilisations. The older generation had greater respect for land than science. But we live in an age when science, more than soil, has become the provider of growth and abundance. Living just on the land creates loneliness in an age of globality.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/01/palestinians-science-soil-arab-uprisings

[LeftishBrit]

1. Excellent article!

Israel's current president is certainly a much better choice than his predecessor!

Important point about the role of mass communications. The Internet and such systems as Twitter have a vast potential role in spreading and increasing democracy; just as the printing press had an important role in starting it.

[hack89]

2. Anything that weakens Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah

in one swell swoop is very good for Israel. I wouldn't be surprised if Israel is covertly helping the Syrian protesters - that is the lynch pin for them.

[azurnoir]

3. Assad says that too

In first public statement since riots began, Assad blames U.S.-Israeli plot

Syrian President Bashar Assad spoke publicly Wednesday for the first time since the outbreak of widespread demonstrations against his regime. Appearing before the Syrian parliament, he said his country was the target of a major conspiracy, pointing the finger at the United States and Israel.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/in-first-public-statement-since-riots-began-assad-blames-u-s-israeli-plot-1.353175