Jan. 18--KUWAIT -- Watching the last three weeks' horrific Israeli attacks on Gaza has been harrowing and distressing for everyone. For Palestinians around the world, though, the distress is obviously infinitely greater; this is their nation, their people being terrorized, with over 1,070 killed (with almost one third of that number being children) and 4,900 maimed and injured in Israel's constant, non-stop brutal attack -- and for many this is their family and friends. Kuwait's Palestinian population of around 80 ,000 have been watching horrified and helpless as the ongoing massacre continues.

The Kuwait Times spoke to some Palestinian residents of Kuwait to assess their feelings about events there and regional and international reactions to them. Salem Tineh, a 42-year-old barber whose family originally came from the Galilee area, was angry at what he sees as Arab leaders' indifference, although he praised the people of Arab countries.

This time, Arab demonstrations are larger than ever. They proved that the Palestinian cause is still in the forefront of their minds, but the sad fact is the leaders of the Arab world, they aren't mirroring their people's feelings and desires," he said. "The leaders of the Arabs world should make a stand. If they unite, the aggression against Gaza would stop within 48 hours. It is ironic that Bolivia and Venezuela's governments have done more than Arab ones to stand up to Israel.

25-year-old Yahya Baroud, a design consultant whose family came from Ashdod north of Gaza, told the Kuwait Times, "I expect the West to do nothing -- America will always protect Israel. It makes me more angry that Arabs are doing nothing. They will have a summit to discuss economic issues -- how much the dollar will fall and how much their fat wallets will be affected by the financial crisis, but no summit for Gaza, even after 20 days of the murders. And even normal people, they are doing nothing too. Ye s, there are demonstrations; we smile at each other at the demonstration and go home, just to wipe out the guilt that we are doing nothing.

Mounir Mohammed, a 56-year-old teacher, originally from Tulkarem was disappointed at the lack of concerted political action and social activism against Israel, although he praised the Kuwaiti MPs pushing the government to ban Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from the forthcoming economic summit in protest, as well as lauding the Bolivian and Venezuelan leaders for their actions in cutting off ties with Israel,

It is always the same," he said. "A minority does all the resistance while others are just watching. The values of pan Arabism just vanished.