I read with interest the article “The perennial ‘special relationship’” by Jamal Doumani (Nov. 13). The writer has beautifully summarized the history of the US-Israel ties. It does not need one to be an expert in international affairs to fully understand the impact of these ties on the Middle East. This “special relationship” has turned this region into a cauldron of chaos.

The unjust US support to Israel gave rise to extremist tendencies in this part of the world. It is not an attempt to blame the US for the woes of the region. A region without Israel could have prevented wars and displacement of population. Thanks to the global powers, Israel was carved out of Arab lands.

Those powers claim to be secular by nature but they accepted Jewish religious claims on the holy lands. This is just hypocrisy. When Muslims stress on their religious identities, they are branded as extremists and terrorists. It is not called anti-Semitism.

The entire world appears to be have turned a blind eye to the crimes of Israel. The manner in which the Zionists usurped Arab lands is disgusting. Instead of siding with the displaced Arabs, the world accepted the media portrayal of Israel being the victim.

It would be very unnatural of the Palestinians not to offer resistance to the occupation.

The slingshots and stones that have come to symbolize the Palestinian struggle against a strong Israeli Army — which is continuously being propped up by the United States — are treated as weapons against which the “poor Israelis” cannot defend themselves. The world needs to shun this approach to ensure peace in the region. As for the US, we Arabs no longer see it as a trusted ally.

Naif Al-Johaini

Riyadh