Lebanese Journalist Nadim Koteich: A Single Bashar Al-Assad Barrel Bombs Kills As Many People As Were Killed In 11 Days Of Fighting In Gaza – Why Does No One Condemn Crimes Perpetrated By Arabs Against Arabs?

Lebanese journalist Nadim Koteich said that 200 Palestinians were killed in the recent war in Gaza, but that a single barrel bomb, dropped by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, kills just as many people, yet no one condemns these crimes. He made these remarks in an interview that aired on Al-Kahera Wal –Nas TV (Egypt) on June 20, 2021. Koteich said that Israel is "an established fact," and it cannot be wiped out in an attack. He added that the Lebanese economy, the future of its people, its currency, and the savings of its people have been hijacked under the pretext of resistance against Israel, and yet no one is fighting against it. Koteich asked why Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser is considered a hero by his people although he lost the Sinai Peninsula, while President Anwar Sadat is considered a traitor, despite regaining the Sinai Peninsula. For more about Nadim Koteich see MEMRI TV clips nos. 8382, 8001, 7769, 7668, 7221, 7140 and 5675.

Nadim Koteich: "Can we imagine a moment when Israel would no longer exist? Don't answer, let me. My answer is: 'No.' Israel is a fact in this region and such it will remain, period. One cannot imagine a scenario in which an attack wipes out Israel.

[...]

"Israel is a fait accompli."

Interviewer: "For now..."

Nadim Koteich: "When it comes to an end, we will talk about it. No problem. Today it exists, so what is the nature of my relations with it? As a Lebanese, all of the problems that I have with Israel... I'm talking as a Lebanese."

Interviewer: "Yes."

Koteich: "Our country has been hijacked — its economy, the future of its people, its currency, the savings of its people — just because someone wants to fight Israel. They have destroyed the country and the future of its people, but they do not fight Israel. So come, sit down and tell me what is your problem with Israel?

[...]

"The crimes committed by our Arab regimes against the Arab population have dwarfed those committed by Israel. Look at the [recent] 11-day-war in Gaza... Don't be upset, I want to be frank and blunt. 200 Palestinians were unjustly killed in this war. Right?"

Interviewer: "That's right."

Koteich: "The same number of people are being killed in a single building in Aleppo by a single barrel bomb of Bashar Al-Assad. It has been happening for the past ten years. Why do we accept Arab crimes perpetrated against Arabs, but want to describe the Israeli crime as the only crime? This is not true. We should be objective about this. Take Egypt, for example. Abdel Nasser lost Sinai, but he is considered a hero. Sadat regained Sinai, but he is considered a traitor. How come? How come the one who lost Sinai is a hero, and the one who regained Sinai is a traitor? By what logic?"