Beirut drama dominates Arab media

By Sebastian Usher
BBC world media correspondent

Newspapers in Lebanon have greeted the fall of the government on Monday as a historic moment and proof of people power on the streets of Lebanon.

In Syria, state-controlled newspapers have ignored or played down the Lebanese cabinet's resignation.

In Israel, it has been greeted as a major blow against the authorities in Damascus, who backed the fallen government.

The opposition movement in Lebanon has been inescapable on Arab TV stations, which have brought the dramatic events of the past two weeks since the assassination of the country's former Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri, live into millions of Arab homes.

The front pages of Lebanon's papers are a colourful sea of triumphant protesters holding aloft the Lebanese flag.

"People power brings down Karami's cabinet", reads the headline in the Daily Star.

The paper's editorial speaks of the electric atmosphere on Lebanon's streets and says the events of the past two weeks should herald a new beginning for the country.

'New leaf'

Most Lebanese papers marvel at the unprecedented sight of different generations of Lebanese of various political and religious persuasions all uniting in a common purpose.

They agree that it is the first time that a Lebanese government has bowed to the genuine, popular will.

The issue should not be shown in the media as a victory for one group against another, because this will increase friction between the Lebanese Ilyas Murad Editor, al-Baath newspaper, Syria In picture: Beirut protests

On Lebanon's TV screens, the coverage has been wall-to-wall, giving its own momentum to the protests.

Opposition figures like Druze leader Walid Jumblatt have given highly charged reactions, but have tried also to keep the tide of protest from getting out of hand.

"I think that the wrong behaviour of some Syrian intelligence members in Lebanon caused this crisis in relations between Lebanon and Syria," he said.

"However, now that Karami's cabinet has resigned, let us turn over a new leaf of correct and serious relations with Syria."

Symbolism

In Syria, which has seen itself blamed on all sides for Hariri's death, the pressure may be starting to tell, but the state-controlled media is still trying to play down the scale of what's happening - with main newspapers, such as Tishreen, studiously ignoring Monday's drama.

The editor of the al-Baath newspaper, Ilyas Murad, told al-Jazeera that people should not get too carried away.

Protests in Beirut continued into Tuesday

"What I want to say as a journalist who is aware of the developments is that the issue should not be shown in the media as a victory for one group against another, because this will increase friction between the Lebanese."

But with Arab satellite stations focusing so intensely on Lebanon, there is little chance that the symbolism of the opposition's victory has been lost on the wider Arab world, including Syria.

Arab newspapers are weighing up the possible knock-on effect of events in Lebanon on other Arab states, asking whether it is the precursor of the spread of genuine democracy across the region.

In Israel the same question is being asked.

The country's best-selling newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, says the mere sight of an unarmed Arab public succeeding in its protests without violence is a powerful innovation.