Israel's new image

Submitted by myth (Germany), Dec 3, 2013 at 17:29

It seems to me Israel now enjoys a new image in the Middle East as a result of the Iran deal. Israel shines as the benign adversary, most predictable und loyal to its Arab neighbors and a trustworthy ally in pragmatism. What the Western media labels Israel's stubbornness, the Arabs learn to appreciate as loyalty.

Even in the shiite camp I personnally came across some change. A couple of weeks ago I had a conversation with a shiite Arab friend of mine. It was only days after the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Beirut. I asked my friend straight forward: You don't like Israel but the IDF wouldn't attack you for being a shiite. Who is the bigger threat to you - Israel or the sunni terrorists? His answer: the sunni Al-Qaeda terrorists.

This was the time to take a deep breath from the shisha, blow a thick cloud of smoke in the air and let it settle over all questions big and small concerning the Middle East.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".