Israel Matzav

Marty Peretz pans Turki al-Faisal

Marty Peretz didn't much like Turki al-Faisal's op-ed in Sunday's New York Times:

Turki is a royal hack. But why would any self-respecting newspaper post an opinion piece that surely he did not write himself and cannot be an honest précis of his thoughts. The Times is now specializing in such op-eds. A few weeks ago it published an article by Muammar Qaddafi, a certified gangster and nutcase, certified by his own actions.

Obama announces his emoluments to the world of Islam (about which I will write later). Then Turki makes his demands and his rationales for them, his rationales first:

Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam, the custodian of its two holy mosques, the world's energy superpower and the de facto leader of the Arab and Moslem worlds--that is why our recognition is greatly prized by Israel. However, for all those same reasons, the kingdom holds itself to higher standards of justice and law. It must therefore refuse to engage Israel until it ends its illegal occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights as well as the Shabaa Farms in Lebanon. For Saudis to take steps toward diplomatic normalization before this land is returned to its rightful owners would undermine international law and turn a blind eye to immorality.

This is another reiteration of the Saudi response to the president's. They have told Obama to fly a kite. No, it's much worse.

And if Marty Peretz is telling you that, you've lost the sane American left, Mr. Obama.

What could go wrong?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:40 PM