As a quorum of Arab leaders convene in Doha today, the world is wondering how their meeting might bring about a cessation of hostilities in Gaza. Yesterday, the news broke that King Mohammed VI of Morocco would not be attending the Doha or any other summit, stating that “they will not do much to help the Palestinian people.” The View from Fez had more details on the king's absence: A press release of the king's office said on Wednesday the decision is due to objective reasons and sad considerations relating to the depressing Arab situation, whose deterioration has reached an unprecedented level in the history of Arab joint action. The mere fact of proposing the convening of an Arab summit now gives rise to squabbling and outbidding tactics, even disputes between Arab countries, the release said, noting that sadly, these secondary disagreements eclipse the vital causes of the Ummah, particularly the Palestinian question, and obscure the very essence of the conflict in the region and play into the hands of the true enemies of the Arab world. The communiqué notes that this atmosphere of disunity gives the Arab public opinion the impression that there are attempts to secure exclusive leadership of the Arab world or create specific axes or zones of influence, a prospect Morocco has always sought to avoid. Moroccan blogger Taha Belafrej [fr] also commented on King Mohammed VI's lack of participation, saying: Dans un communiqué du Cabinet Royal diffusé par la MAP, des explications sont données à cette non participation. Voici un extrait de ce communiqué: “Quelle que soit la réalité objective et douloureuse des graves agressions externes, nous nous devons d'être francs avec nous-mêmes et de reconnaître que le problème réside dans le corps arabe lui-même et que, partant, la solution est à trouver, d'abord, chez les arabes eux-mêmes”. In a statement circulated to the Royal Cabinet by MAP [Maghreb Arab Presse, the state news agency], explanations are given regarding his lack of participation. Here is an excerpt from this release: “Whatever the objective reality of the serious and painful external aggression, we must be frank with ourselves and recognize that the problem lies in the Arab body itself and that therefore, the solution must be found, first, among the Arabs themselves.” Ibn Kafka [fr], in response to the full statement from the Moroccan government (available on MAP's web site in French), states that “any comment is superfluous,” going on to say very little else. One commenter expresses disappointment in Ibn Kafka's lack of analysis, saying: Je visite ce blog depuis quelques semaines. Et je suis frappé de ne trouver aucune analyse, aucun rappel historique, aucune approche politique. De la part d’un juriste, je trouve que cela est bien faible, c’est dommage! Ce n’est pas ainsi que l’on y verra plus clair! On détestera davantage les juifs, c’est sûr! Sinon, pas grand chose! Et seule critique …celle de la décision de M6 de ne pas participer à la mascarade organisée par les princes du golfe! From a lawyer, I think this is weak, it is a pity! This is no way to ensure that we will see more clearly! We hate the Jews more, for sure! Otherwise, not much [has changed]! And … the only criticism is of M6*'s decision not to participate in the charade organized by the princes of the Gulf! *M6 is a common abbreviation for King Mohammed VI. While the debate over the king's decision rages on, other bloggers are simply wondering what Arab governments can do to stop Israel's attacks on Gaza. Abdelilah Boukili is one such blogger. For the man in the street, there should be military intervention through the borders with Egypt , Jordan and Lebanon to stop Israeli aggression. But this s unrealistic. The Arab countries don’t have an army like NATO with regular common training and a board of command to mount joint military operations. There are the political calculations which make many countries hesitant about this sort of venture. The Arabs have shown solidarity with the Palestinians through protests, condemnations and the sending of humanitarian aids. It remains up to the Palestinians to show unity among themselves before asking the rest of the Arab world to unite with them. Differences between them just reinforces division in attitude towards the way their cause should be supported. Actual Digital [es], in a post entitled “No a la barbarie…The Slaughter Must Stop,” comments that, “Quien quiere hoy borrar Gaza del mapa, mañana será borrado del mapa de Oriente Medio” [“Whoever wants to wipe Gaza away from the map, tomorrow will be wiped from Middle East map”].