Word: bourguibaism
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...Still angry about West Germany's recognition last month of Israel, Syria urged joint 'economic sanctions against the Bonn government, raised again the proposal that all members of the Arab League establish relations with East Germany instead. The Syrian delegate even demanded that Tunisia, whose President, Habib Bourguiba, had recommended negotiations instead of war with Israel, be expelled from the Arab League...
...action was taken, of course. Far from approving the air strikes against Israel, most Arab states warned Syria not to do anything to provoke the powerful Israeli army against them. Sanctions against West Germany were shelved, as was recognition of East Germany. Syria's case against Bourguiba met the coldest reception of all. Not even Nasser, whom the Tunisian President had accused of seeking control over all Arabs, was angry enough to consider throwing him out of the League...
...outdone, Bourguiba's government had arranged for some 10,000 to hit the streets in Tunis. Tossing the "madman" epithet right back at Cairo, the mob paraded with banners reading "Palestinians recognize in Bourguiba their real defender" and "A firing squad for Nasser!", then broke through police lines to stone the Iraqi embassy and smash down the door at the Egyptian. Ambassadors took wing like homing pigeons. Egypt huffily ordered its envoy out of Tunisia, and in a single day Tunisian diplomats to Cairo, Damascus and Baghdad arrived back in Tunis...
Broken Egg. The Israelis tried hard not to gloat. Bourguiba's plan was no more acceptable to them than it was to the diehard Arabs, for Israel rejects any meaningful territorial concessions and is unwilling to take back masses of Arab refugees who might become a fifth column. Deputy Premier Abba Eban scornfully referred to the U.N. partition plan as a "broken egg" that could not be put back together again...
...week's end Bourguiba sent off a 2,000-word letter to Nasser proposing a personal meeting. "We are in agreement on the heart of the problem," he wrote confidently. The only divergence was "about the course of action." Few observers expected either a meeting or any action...