Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is, for now at least, the only Arab leader to issue a sharp condemnation of the terror attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. “The right to life is a supreme value,” Aoun wrote. Aoun, who also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces, has been overseeing from the presidential palace in Baabda the Lebanese army’s efforts against Hezbollah. He also called on the international community “provide a true and fundamental root cause treatment against the causes of terrorism and its perpetrators." Lebanon, he added, is fighting extremism and opposes terrorism. Hezbollah received the message clearly enough.
Aoun, however, is the exception. Kings, presidents and prime ministers across the Arab world have largely remained silent, though they are closely following developments. But who will guarantee that such an attack will not occur in their own countries?
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Arab media is focusing on Ahmad al-Ahmad, the Syrian Muslim immigrant who risked his life to disarm terrorist
(Photo: News 7)
It is true that there are currently no Israeli tourists in Arab states, with the exception of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. But vigilance is still required. Jews enter and exit every Arab country using foreign passports.
Even Iran, as strange as it may sound, issued a harsh condemnation of the attack in Australia. Still, no senior official said a word. Naturally, Tehran’s statement made no mention of the Jewish or Israeli identity of the victims. So what did Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei want? Tehran seeks to display sympathy toward the Australian government and preserve relations.
While Arab leaders remain silent, the media landscape, dozens of television channels led by Qatar’s Al Jazeera and Saudi Arabia’s Al Arabiya, has been filled with details about the horrific attack. Al Jazeera, usually hostile toward Israel, went out of its way this time. Five reporters covered the story around the clock, tracked down the parents of the “hero,” Ahmad al-Ahmad, with Al Arabiya and its sister channel Al Hadath following suit.
While Arab leaders remain silent, the media - dozens of television channels led by Qatar's Al Jazeera and Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya - are full of details about the circumstances of the heinous incident. Al Jazeera, which is usually hostile to Israel, went out of its way this time. Five reporters reported around the clock, capturing the parents of the "hero" who disarmed one of the gunmen, Ahmed Al Ahmed, and Al Arabiya, along with the Al Hadath channel, followed suit.
I watched a large portion of the broadcasts. The immediate impression, in Israeli eyes, is that real fear has gripped the security apparatuses in each of the countries of the Arab world. Who can guarantee or commit that an attack against "Jewish targets" located in 20 countries of the Arab world will not occur soon? Syrian President Ahmed Shaara is indeed silent, but his surroundings are abuzz with activity, as his grip on power is unstable and he controls only part of Syrian territory.
Not ashamed to extend a hand
I remember previous attacks against Israelis and Jews. I have never seen such swift and emphatic identification in Arab media, among Arab intellectuals and foreign ministry spokespeople, each warning in their own country about the danger of terrorism. It is as if the Arab world awoke all at once to the alarm bells of terror.
One should not forget that the murder of Jews could jeopardize American aid packages to needy Arab states. Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Jordan are all hovering on the brink of poverty and are not ashamed to extend a hand to reach U.S. aid funds. President Donald Trump, in a fit of anger, could derail or halt the money.
Arab print and electronic media have devoted less attention to the chilling story of the father and son, Sajid, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24, who left Pakistan three weeks ago, stopped in the Philippines and landed in Australia on November 28. Intelligence services are examining whether they received instructions in Manila, where weapons were planted for them and who gave the order.
Two ISIS flags were found in a car parked near Bondi Beach. A cache of weapons was discovered during a search of the father’s home. This is a rare case in which a father and son carried out a murderous attack together. Dark experience shows that family members are usually not recruited. A father bringing his son with him, knowing both could be killed or arrested, is extremely unusual.
No less intriguing are the questions of who guaranteed financial compensation, who paid for the plane tickets, whether additional terrorists were recruited in parallel, where the operational training took place, who designated Bondi Beach as a “special” target, and who guided the father and son from Pakistan to that specific location, knowing Jews would be there to mark the lighting of the first Hanukkah candle.
Smadar PerryPhoto: Yariv KatzThese questions are expected to be unraveled in the coming days. One can safely say that the Arab world has jolted awake. But there should be no illusions. It is not that the Arab world suddenly fell in love with Israel. Old accounts have not been erased. Netanyahu remains Netanyahu, and in the Arab world there is mockery of his remark praising the “Jewish rescuer,” while stubbornly ignoring the real hero, Ahmad al-Ahmad.
Al-Ahmad does not need Netanyahu. More than $1.5 million has already been deposited into his personal account. Now he wants to bring his two brothers, from Belgium and Russia, to Australia to share in the hero’s aura that has, rightly, formed around him.