Why Arab Ports are Burning?
What is happening to the Arab ports in general, and those in the Middle East in particular? Why they burn, explode, or get damaged and targeted in a way which is no longer hidden from anyone? Are these incidents caused unintentionally by their management or they are due to some natural reasons? Are these Arab ports of the region under the real threat? The explosion of the port of Beirut was just the beginning of the game. Later one port after another saw similar damages in a suspicious and questionable manner. This happened to the extent that some people started asking which port is next? We do not want to enter a conspiracy theory. The incidents which have taken place prompted us to ask the question, but without pointing the finger at anyone, and leave the topic for discussion, scrutiny, and reflection.
Here, it is worth pointing out that four-fifths of the world’s merchandise trade by volume is transported by sea. About 35 per cent of the total volume of consignments and more than 60 per cent of deliveries of the commercial value are shipped in containers.
All countries of the Arab Spring which were ruined later have their ports either in the eye of the storm or some international and regional powers are planning for their acquisitions. Who is gaining from some of these ports burning or collapsing in the Arab and even African regions? Who is the ultimate beneficiary? Which ports are flourishing after the collapse of some of the Arab ports? [by Faisal Al-Kasim in Al-Quds Al-Arabi]
Israeli Uncertainty
Israel is facing differences between its military and politicians. This appeared on the pages of major international newspapers to show that the military favoured the nuclear agreement with Iran, until a few days ago when Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett indicated that the issue will be decided by politicians, not military leaders. Whenever matters in Israel reach a dead end, on sensitive issues, governments deliberately obstruct them by calling for early parliamentary elections.
Israel is facing fifth election in three years. Prime Minister Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid have no option left, not to bring stability to the government, but to follow the path of denial and escapism from what would ultimately be binding on the Israeli government by the way of political dictates and decisions. Besides, the eight-party coalition, government has slowly split in recent weeks. Ideological divisions are also surfacing. It led to the government’s failure to pass several high-profile bills, including the implementation of some parts of the Israeli law on Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. The issues led to speculations about the government’s ability to continue. But this is not a sufficient reason to justify the absence of a “not innocent” Israeli government, prior to the visit of US President Joe Biden to the region between July 13-16.
Israel is in an internal crisis. A kind of war of words is besieging it. But it is escaping on the pretext of an unstable democracy, without touching the core of its security decisions and strategic policies.
[by Yaqdhan Al-Taqi in Al-Araby Al-Jadeed]
Compiled and Translated by Faizul Haque