From Palestine to Iran: What Arab and Muslim silence really reveals

I have always found it interesting, and at times revealing, when seasoned activists and intellectuals in the West, including those who see themselves as deeply committed to Palestine, raise the same familiar point: Arab governments must stand up to Israel and the United States in solidarity with their brethren in Palestine. The argument often comes wrapped in a perplexed question: why are Arabs and Muslims not doing anything for Palestine? What makes this particularly puzzling is that the question is often posed by respected analysts and historians—people who should recognize that the issue is far less sentimental than structural. At first glance, the question may not seem bizarre. Palestinians are tied to their neighbors through history, geography, demography, religion, language, […]