Building Up Arab Nationalism

The big question in the aftermath of Nasrallah’s recent call for a nationalist (i.e., not sectarian-based) Islamic (i.e., not just Arab) resistance is the degree to which anyone aside from his Lebanese Shi’ite followers (Iraqi Shi’a, Sunni Arabs, or non-Arab Moslems) will change his behavior in response to Nasrallah’s call. The answer of course remains unknown, but Israel’s heavyhanded firing by its army on Gazans protesting Israel’s economic war of collective punishment against Gaza certainly enhances the likelihood that Nasrallah’s dismissing of the utility of negotiations will fall on receptive ears. Do Israeli voters really want their government building up Nasrallah’s credibility as the potential leader of Arab nationalism by demonstrating the accuracy of his words before they are hardly out of his mouth?