Pity the Arabs. Non Arab neighbors just keep using our causes to expand their influence in the region.

Tony Badran:

Populism in the Arab world is second nature and despite its disastrous track record, it never seems to go out of fashion. Non-Arab regional players like Iran have understood this and have cynically used populism to their advantage.

[..]

What the flotilla episode reaffirmed was the ease with which the Arabs can be used as instruments for the projection of power by the region’s non-Arab powers and traditional centers of regional influence, such as Turkey and Iran.

Meanwhile, we cheer..