Priests of Killing

THE Arab summit recently concluded in Beirut was a public farce, but alas not at all comic because it reflected so accurately the disarray of the Arab world. The participants were all either one-man rulers or their representatives, and their legitimacy rests solely on their military and security forces. All are engaged in a variety of power struggles among themselves. In the complexity of these deadly machinations, the rulers of Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan chose to stay away from Beirut, each giving specious excuses. The summit peaked when Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia called for normalization of relations with Israel. The Syrian one-man ruler and others quibbled about the meaning of normalization, but all signed up. They then pledged to give $480 million to Yasser Arafat to ensure that the intifada continues and there will be no normalization.

In the complete absence of democracy or any genuine representational factor, these encounters among one-man rulers and their representatives are highly personal, and sometimes emotional to the point of tearfulness. The stress is immense. The embracing, the professions of unity and friendship, mask wariness. A false move might cost anyone his life. To play safe, words and deeds have to be coded. The Arabs can’t have normal relations with one another, never mind Israel.

About the Author

David Pryce-Jones

David Pryce-Jones (1936–2025) was a British author and commentator and served as a senior editor of National Review.

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THE Arab summit recently concluded in Beirut was a public farce, but alas not at all comic because it reflected so accurately the disarray of the Arab world. The participants were all either one-man rulers or their representatives, and their legitimacy rests solely on their military and security forces. All are engaged in a variety of power struggles among themselves. In the complexity of these deadly machinations, the rulers of Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan chose to stay away from Beirut, each giving specious excuses. The summit peaked when Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia called for normalization of relations with Israel. The Syrian one-man ruler and others quibbled about the meaning of normalization, but all signed up. They then pledged to give $480 million to Yasser Arafat to ensure that the intifada continues and there will be no normalization.

In the complete absence of democracy or any genuine representational factor, these encounters among one-man rulers and their representatives are highly personal, and sometimes emotional to the point of tearfulness. The stress is immense. The embracing, the professions of unity and friendship, mask wariness. A false move might cost anyone his life. To play safe, words and deeds have to be coded. The Arabs can’t have normal relations with one another, never mind Israel.