Lebanon: Arab Summit Can Preemt Potential Crisis

Jamil K. Mroue writes in The Daily Star that the Arab summit scheduled to be held in Lebanon on Friday this week provides a historic opportunity for Arab states to “preempt potential crisis” in Lebanon. While Mroue recognizes that the Arab leaders may not be able to agree on everything, “they can make two things clear in a unanimous voice”: First, they can declare that Arab states “will not tolerate an unwarranted Israeli attack on Lebanon,” and second, they can clearly state that Lebanon will not be used as an “arena” for intra-Arab conflict. According to Mroue, Lebanon is an “infectious” place, whose instability can spread to the rest of the Arab world.