Sayyed Fadlullah: Fresh wounds do not hurt dead bodies.

Asked in his weekly seminar the following question: The World Economic Forum in Amman witnessed few Arab-Israeli meetings indicating the decline in the Arab state at this stage. How do read these developments?

The Religious Authority Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah said:

In fact, the World Economic Forum was held in Amman as part of the American attempt to invest in the invasion of Iraq on the economic level, in an effort to enhance the US political hegemony that is spearheaded by the "Road Map" for peace between the Palestinians and the Zionist enemy.

But if it is understandable that the US seeks to realize these projects to promote its interests, why should the Arabs yield and show no real objections that are a must if they wish to preserve the minimal requirements of their security, independence and even existence?

Why should the Arabs be eager to meet the American military ruler of Iraq? They did not even express and reservation over the American occupation or raise any question about its nature or duration, despite its announcement that it will stay indefinitely. Did things reach the level where the Arab have accepted politically and realistically the American occupation of Iraq?

And even if we could tolerate the Arab recognition of the American ruler as the representative of Iraq, how could we understand the Arab rush to meet the Israeli foreign minister, at a time the Israelis continue their atrocities in the Palestinian towns and villages. Such an act was not expected even by the Zionist minister who said that they were surprised by the Arab attitude towards the Israelis in spite of Qawasmi’s assassination.

Such an attitude is in fact unaccepted, neither in principle nor in real politics. Why should we rush to establish relations with Israel knowing that it will only make it disdain the Arabs, impose new conditions on the Palestinians and gain more support from the Americans to these conditions. This is the meaning of the last Israeli declaration that America will not impose any conditions on it, especially with regard with the settlement activities and the assassinations.

We did not hear any condemnation of these American stances although we heard their praise for the American Department of State expression of sorrow for the martyrdom of Qawasmi, despite the fact that the Americans held the Palestinians responsible for the violence.

Such Arab positions hurt the feelings and the dignity of the Arabs and Muslims, and impel us to say that the Israeli stabs no longer hurt us. Are we that dead? And have we actually reached the stage where we have completely surrendered?