Zionists now swiping at Clinton, say Arabs

“It’s a serious matter, and we should note that we have difficult days ahead,” he added, the Lebanese press reported on Monday. A plethora of newspapers across the Arab world have sounded similar themes of Israeli involvement since charges emerged that Clinton had an affair with a former White House aide and then pressured her to deny the affair in court. Clinton has vehemently denied both the affair and the perjury allegations.

“How shameful that the presidency of the number one nation promoting human rights, democracy and justice has become a theater for prostitution, sex and scandal,” said Galal Dweidar, editor of Egyptian government daily Al-Akhbar.“The Jewish Zionist lobby… is not innocent from efforts to expose the American administration in support of the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” said Dweidar.

The editor-in-chief of Al-Gomhuriya, a government daily blamed Clinton for bringing the scandal upon himself by nurturing relations with Israel. “Dear and powerful friend, my heart goes out to you in this crisis but the truth is you have sewn it with your own hands to please them (Israel),” Mahfuz al-Ansari wrote in an open letter to Clinton.

Construction by Israel of Jewish homes at Abu Ghneim in Arab East Jerusalem in March brought the Palestinian-Israeli peace process to a halt. Egyptian newspapers also voiced concern that Clinton will attack Iraq as a way to shift media attention away from the sex allegations. “I am afraid that the only solution left for President Bill Clinton to emerge from the fix he’s in is to strike Iraq,” said Jamal Badawi, editorial chief at opposition newspaper Al-Wafd.

Egyptian oppositionnewspaper Al Osboa, quoting diplomatic sources, said Clinton had received letters from the US Jewish lobby warning him that if he put pressure on Netanyahu they would attack him through the media.

The weekly Al-Destur, quoting an Islamic MP, urged Clinton to make up for his “sins” by converting to Islam. In Syria, the official press said Clinton was incapable of resolving conflict in the Middle-East as most of his administration was “pro-Israel”. “The current administration is unable to control the political adventurism of the Israeli Prime minister,” Tishrin newspaper said. “Zionism is now conjuring up a possible removal of President Bill Clinton,” it added.