Look at Egypt, where after a century of being suppressed you'd think the people would want to finally build a modern, open and free Egyptian society. Nope. Turns out that most of them would like to cancel the peace treaty with Israel and have another war. It's sad, but not surprising, since there have been precious few opposition leaders who have survived to preach the concept of freedom to the Arabs across the muddled east.

and totally detached from reality. Wishful thinking is his motto. It is a new world Yoram Pal. state is going to be recognized internationally based on the 67 borders and then even countries like the good old US of A will have to impose sanctions on countries occupying other recognized countries.

Some 1,400 years of Muslim-Arab tyranny, guided by an imperialistic, intolerant and violent religion, which embraces terrorism . Enough said!

...and Moslems being many and Jews/Israelis being few, and Moslems in general and Moslem Arabs in particular valuing death, war and hatred over the sanctity of life, whereas Jews seek "peace"(Arabs grant peace if Jews commit collective suicide) at any cost. How to solve the problem? All Arabs of Israel, Golan, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and Gaza need to pack their bags and leave - if not we will help them. Israel needs to rescind and annul the Oslo Accords and musn´t recognize any "Palestinian" people or state, and Israel ought to reconquer Sinai and annex Judea, Samaria, Gaza and Sinai. On top of that, Israel should do to the Arab world what the Allies did to Germany and Japan during the Second World War. If the Arabs insist on perpetuating the conflict then we must insist on finishing it now and forever. It is an ever repeating farce - they attack us, we respond and neutralize them - for now. Next month or year the enemy is back ready to fire at us again. And the story goes on and on. A new flottila, new terror attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers, new missile and rocket attacks on Israel from Lebanon and Gaza, hysterical Israeli citizens seeking refuge in bunkers and the threat of WMDs in Iran. Enough is enough. Finish off Israel´s enemies once and for all.

and too few see this..not wanting to see the realities and facts on the ground.

..it's spelled islam.

It's easy to ignore the fact that there are people who are trying to RID the middle east of tyranny. Rather than provide support, you engage in behavior that decides to become defensive. Shame on you Ettinger. Remember it is our young generation that has moved for these changes...I can't wait for the day that most of your generation will be in the Earth along with your backward, scared and fruitless ideas.

how did/does it come that egypt is so critical of "israel"/israelism/zionism? think of this and then judge again. it is not only the fault of the arabs.

to determine whether the rioting masses are heading in the way of democracy, liberty and prosperity, versus more backwardness and violence: 1. If they holler to their tyrant, "send your troops to Israel, you coward", then it's the latter option. 2. If they draw a portrait of the tyrant with a star-of-David over him - then it's the latter option. 3. If they blow up a gas pipe to Israel, then it's the latter option. 4. If they cannot resist their urge to gang-rape a blonde Western journalist, then it's the latter option. 5. If the polls show that the majority supports religious fundamentalist factions, and/or that the majority wants to break all relations with Israel, then it's the latter option. 6. If they chant, "after we liberate ourselves, we will come to liberate Palestine", then it's the latter option. So far none of the new "Arab springs" have passed these tests successfully.

Stupid cant be fixed.

if you hope and wish to see a dormant arab nations for ever weak and submissive than you are clearly dilusional

in every arab state where there is turmol, keepit up guys. long as your fighting with each other we get a respite from you nudniks. doesn't rally makea difference who wins these arab revulutions or who gets replaced, the new boss will still be anti-semitic.oh excuse me anti-zionist.

I assume from your comments that you are a teenager or thereabouts. Maybe you should develop a little respect for the wisdom one acquires over the years. You are in for a big disappointment otherwise.

I have had the opportunity to hear several experts (real ones, not the frauds so often paraded in public) on Egypt. There is uniform agreement that Egypt is heading down a bad road. Its people are about to be priced out of the wheat market by a hungry, drought ridden China and it is now very evident that the political choice is islamists or militarists. The facebook crowd has packed up and left. What will Israel do when the Egyptians decide to send several armored divisions into the Sinai?

Arabs involved in the uprisings are not seeking Democracy. Ask Russians if they have Democracy and they'll by a huge margin say "yes". Arabs are mostly angry at monies being stolen while they live in poverty, or they want to be more Islamic. That's all, because they have been brainwashed.

Bravo!!!!

How is it that Egypt, another Arab military dictatorship is so critical of Israel/zionism? Are you that thick? If it looks like an Arab dictatorship, smells like an Arab dictatorship, abuses its citizens like an Arab dictatorship, and quacks like an Arab dictatorship, then golly gosh Mr/Ms Justiceforall it must be an Arab dictatorship! And what do dictators do? They always tell everybody how somebody else is the evil cause of their problems. They always blame somebody else to deflect the blame from themselves. Egypt is just another flea bitten, backwards, abusive and abusing Arab dictatorship. It's the near-sighted like you who think that Israel has something to do with the lack of freedom in the Arab world. Israel has NOTHING to do with the FACT that every single Arab country is a dictatorship. The Arabs happen to hate the fact that there is a democracy stuck in its midst where human rights and the rule of law actually have some meaning. Sure we're not perfect, but the fact that Arabs (except for Israeli Arabs) live under dictatorships is the fault of people like you, who accept it as normal that countries should be allowed to abuse their peoples. They aren't, and maybe one day you will help the Arabs to be free, instead of wasting your time trying to blame Israel.

...in Syria, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, to become no longer dormant, weak and submissive as you say? After such an impassioned comment as you gave here, we would expect no less of you. Or, you prefer to let others do the work and pay with their blood, while you are sitting and typing from the comfort and safety of Scotland?

Ettinger in his age is struggling with the accelerated pace of change of our new world. He presents no evidence that the "refugees" from Tunisa are moderates. Usually after a revolution backers of the previous regime have to high tail it and run. London was filled with Frenchmen after the French revolution, which spared no sympathizers of the monarchic tyranny. Ettinger doesn't mention that the Spring of Nations or Revolutions of 1848 were brutally suppressed throughout Europe and an utterly failure. That the failure of the common person to achieve their emancipation resulted in the regimes turning to nationalism and laying the groundworks for the futile nationalist slaughter of WWI If Ettinger is a democrat then he doesn't sound like one. He sounds like a sullied old elitist worrying that the mob will be round his door soon. 7.62 NIS for a liter of petrol.....

This is an accurate analysis of an un fortunate reality. Western naievete and stupidity can persist only for so long. Even they must soon see what a mess this all is. As for us in Israel it will be nice if the Assad regime goes the way of all flesh, but I wouldn't at the moment bet on it. The worse the regime the more ready to use the most violent means of repression of any sign of resistance to it.

In addition to the countries listed in the article, things are happening in Jordan that could point to changes there as well. A change in Jordan, regardless of whether it's for good or for bad, will most likely have a big influence on Israel since roughly 70% of its citizens are Palestinians.

Ettinger's analysis is predicated on Obama and Clinton being good people who want to believe that the likes of Abbas and Assad are good, but that isn't really supported by facts. They knew that Gaddafi is the nicest and most generous Arab dictator with broad support of the Libyan people. They also knew that Assad is a bloodthirsty dictator who leads an apartheid regime in Syria and illegally occupies Lebanon. But what a difference. In Libya, Obama and Clinton incited an armed rebellion, and when that failed, they illegally attacked to destroy previously prosperous Libya and to kill thousands of civilians. In Syria, Obama and Clinton fully support Assad as he starves whole cities and guns down protestors holding olive branches. But maybe it is just that birds of a feather flock together. Just as Assad murdered Hariri who he didn't like, Obama and Clinton are trying to murder Gaddafi.

I Am normally fighting the conspiratorial way on thinking the permeate through Arab thinking at all levels , yet this time is " different " . The Western perceived weaknesses and actual ones are doing their damage to the Arab world in seen and unforeseen ways . For one , Islam has nothing to do it , really the Arabs were able develop with theology before as other societies like Israel . The issue is really about the relationship and interaction between the ruler and the ruled , and the resultant competency and strength of the collective will of the society to see things through. Enter westren weakness , the west is taken superficially for the Arabs to be like them without going through their own experiences and lessons . The westren weakness takes other ways like destroying power systems like Iraq/ Iran balance of powers , and now leaving Iran to claim an imperial past by pressuring Israel, Iraq, , Gulf countries, , and Lebanon , and even exploiting the Syrian difficulties .Ultimately , the governments in the region. Got to be strong to enact reforms not weaken them like the Western world is doing in the name of democracy .Iran is let go because of other Western weakness, no money and no will, and even self doubt. Also, please stop. Gloating on others problems.

her son, the crown prince of Jordan is the next ruler in Jordan, and he is a Palestinian. Jordan will be ruled by a Palestinian. Jordan is Palestine. 2 state solution solved.

about "selective" you only blame one side/party for everything bad.you spoke about selective justice of me. your reaction is the prove of selective/one-sided, biased, partial indignation/anger. i condemn/critize all 87 dictators, islam(ism), zionism/israelism, roman-catholicism, fundamental christianity. there are good-willing jews and bad and criminal jews, there are good-willing palestinians and bad/criminal palestinians, there are good-willing arabs and there are bad/criminal arabs etc. bad apples and pears are to be found everywhere and always. i try to be realistic and objective in all cases. for a free world for free people!

Who is detached from reality? It seems you Hertzel. Is your really Hertzel? Pal state maybe recognized by UN Assembly, which has no legal or enforcing authority."US will impose sanctions"- keep on dreaming. litvac120

It has nothing to do with what the author hopes or wishes and everything to do with what the Arabs do or do not do. So far the facts bear him out. litvac120

Very good Post. The so-called Democracy Spring in Egypt was ignited by the price of wheat doubling in the last 12 months. There is no question that Israel will have to respond, maybe even using tactical nuclear weapons. Egypt must be made aware that their game can become suicidal. litvac120