Lebanon’s Al Akhbar noted that the world had witnessed significant shifts and changes during 2014, some of which are expected to continue into this year. According to the daily, among the most important changes is the declining US role in upholding the world order due to the emergence of new players in political, economic and military fields. The US has also lost its influence as a result of its costly adventures in the region.
Some changes seemed quite surprising, such as the emergence of Daesh (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), with the use of religion in politics reaching its peak and being clearly manifest in inter-faith and sectarian conflicts across the Arab world. The paper said: “Throughout 2014, Lebanon experienced wave after wave of political tension and several alarming episodes of civil strife. It was a year full of multilevel verbal offensives as well as physical violence and unrest in the streets ...”
The Algerian Echorouk does not expect that 2015 will bring good news for the Arab world, which is mired in internal sectarian conflicts and political and economic crises. “2014 is ... over, leaving behind a heavy legacy of political and security chaos and armed conflicts, with [a] disastrous impact stretching across the Arab world — from Yemen in the south to Iraq in the east and Libya in the west, while the situation in Syria is deteriorating, with its effects extending to Lebanon, not to mention the daily Israeli crimes against Palestinians,” the paper said.
Egypt’s Al Ahram believes that there are no positive signs of improvement in troubled Arab countries, such as Iraq, Syrian, Libya and Yemen after dark forces seized control of big cities while major western countries kept silent, awaiting further deterioration.
“It is more likely that the Arab region will see more divisions if the ... [big] powers fail to come up with a unified vision towards armed conflicts that threaten the ... [existence] of Arab states. Some Arab governments only consider their narrow interests and do not realise the potentially grave consequences. The only way to find a way out of this catastrophic situation is to tackle the problems facing Arab communities at the [grass]roots. The military option alone is not the solution. Only education and liberating minds can help build transparent communities capable of achieving social justice and eliminating ignorance and backwardness.”
Commenting on 2014, the UAE’s Al Bayan noted: “As 2014 draws to a close, after ... a year of disasters, tragedies and wars that broke out in many areas across the world, the Palestinians are still struggling against the Israeli occupation to regain their freedom and legitimate rights, while Israel ... [has been showing disregard for] all international laws for more than six decades.
“Israel’s nonstop barbaric aggressions and its policy of threats and intimidation have never succeeded in breaking the steadfastness and determination of the Palestinian people to bravely defend their rights and end the occupation of their land. We hope that 2015 will bring good news to the Palestinians after the Arabs have thrown their weight behind a Palestinian proposal to reach a final peace deal and cut off the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land by late 2017. We wish the Palestinians success in their political battle ...”
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