THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT AND ITS CONCLUSION — A BRIEF
In as much as it is impossible to remove a flaming hot metal from a foundry by hand, it is the best time to forge it manually into its eventual form. In as much as Israel is desperate to execute revenge against Hamas, we hope it is considering an interim solution to the Palestinian plight. Its next course of action shall either place it on par with Hamas’ offensive or elevate it. A vindictive retribution will be inhuman for weaker people with a suppressed cause. But the formulation of a definitive and credible solution shall be a reason for a permanent regional peace.
This problem is older than the State of Israel (1947) and as old as the State of Palestine (1917). The entire Levant which was once a peaceful historical part of the world prior to the Ottoman Empire, has progressed into a hotbed of insecurity, instability, and terror.
I write this article objectively and impartially, to inform and not to inflame, free of accusation and reproach, distilling complex politics into condensed and digestible content. The purpose is to provide an overview. Further details are accessible over the internet. I only hope that Israel shall tamper wisdom and restraint before its outright war on Hamas. A name that can be changed at the drop of a hat, but an insurrection that will restlessly brew until a pragmatic solution is found.
Radicalism aside, the entire Region acknowledges the State of Israel, whether explicitly or implicitly. We have historical and genealogical ties to the Jews since the inception of the world, regardless of religious denomination. At times we wonder why they took so long to return to their land. Why at the end of the 19th century?
The only blame may be apportioned to those who created this problem not only for both parties but for the entire Region, the British and the French who were scrambling for wealth and power at the turn of the 20th century, as the glory of Britain and the influence of France were waning. They pay lip service to a powerful Israel, accuse the Palestinians for every reaction labeling it “terrorism” (i.e.,” behave yourselves”), and intentionally remain silent over Arab conflicts, all in an effort to secure their own interests. Had Gaza or the West Bank enjoyed important natural resources, the rhetoric would have totally different.
In 1919 after WW1, the French and the British sold out to the US through the historical Bretton-Woods Agreement, seeking financial support to reconstruct their countries and preserve their previous shine and prestige in their colonies. They had their eyes on the rich oil reserves in the Middle East, and its complimentary logistics through the Suez Canal. In their effort to grab the last vestiges from the Ottoman Turks, they made pledges to both Arabs and Jews. The Arabs were to assist them in clearing out the Ottomans from the Region for sovereignty and rule, and the Jews were to secure them the finance through their powerful US lobby for sovereignty as well, leaving the other regional ethnicities to sort themselves out between those two. They did not expect the Arabs to keep their part of the deal, and eventually, the British found them a loose-ended compromise. They overestimated the Jewish lobby, but the Jews were smarter than them, forcing their hand into every convention and agreement to achieve their statehood. The Arabs were now left to leverage their rich resources.
Banishing blame is the only way to forge peace, security, and prosperity for all sides. To achieve this, concessions are required by all sides. The Palestinians misconstrued their Resistance as resistance to any solution other than their original boundaries. But it was unrealistic to ignore the global events and regional wars that occurred since then, changing the geopolitical landscape.
With the Israeli suppression and oppression escalating, violence and retaliation are consequential. Regional radicalism is sprouting and spreading rapidly, contributing to instability and insecurity. This situation can no longer persist or it will explode.
In its efforts to broker peace agreements, the US is walking a tightrope. As long as it remains obstinately aligned with Israel through right or wrong, this diminishes its credibility as a fair and equitable partner for peace. This creates unnecessary anti-American and anti-European sentiments sometimes leading to acts of terror.
The Israeli radicals are suffocating the Palestinian population. When they react, they oppress them further, accusing them of all sorts of horrors whether true or false, like on October 7th. The media was loaded with fake images and news, revealed by the international press on the ground. The tide is turning in favor of the Palestinians who have no media control or powerful external lobby. They are now globally seen as a population under siege. The world wonders why Israel still bombards Gaza after the Hamas militia has moved out and the civilians are given a deadline to evacuate. Every Israeli act is now perceived as a provocation to force them out of their territories. It appears that Israel knows the Palestinian buttons to push in order to obtain the desired response in fulfilling its objectives and justifying it on Palestinian violence.
When the Palestinians react, the force meted out against them is disproportionate, like killing a fly with a sledgehammer. Such persistent repression eventually spills over and explodes into a massive uprising like an Intifadah, a Nakbah, or the brutality witnessed on 07/10/2023.
Whether their politicians are corrupt, repress their freedom, are undemocratic, live in palaces, or offer nothing to their people, these remain irrelevant arguments distracting away from the fundamental requirement of any people for sovereignty and dignity. These people were there to occupy the land for millennia while the original population was in exile. They have nowhere else to go, and they want to go nowhere. Whether the Arabs accept them or reject them, condemn or praise them, or even deny them as non-Arabs, are also irrelevant arguments.
The seeds of tomorrow are sown today. If they are good, they flourish, if they are bad, everyone pays the price eventually. In addition to concessions, compromise is expected. These people must have a land to call their own. Just as the Kurds must eventually have their own land, or the Armenians are entitled to reclaim their own.
Israel must never forget what it means to remain stateless and by the same measure seek to assist others in their own quest. Unless the Palestinians have their state to return to and gather their people, they will have nothing to lose through violence or any other means they use to attract global attention to their desperate cause. How can they experience democracy and hold their leaders accountable, if they cannot gather from across the world into a nation of their own and evolve with it making it a better place?
Initially, the Middle East had no peace, now the entire world has no peace. Today, the cause is no longer the colonialists, but Israel and the Palestinians themselves, in their endless cycle of force, control, and fear.
Israel no longer trusts the Palestinians. It is reciprocal. Their apprehension is out of fear, a fear that they created for themselves. Extreme control is out of fear. Extreme retribution is out of fear of a forgotten struggle. With the 4th strongest military force in the world, and a powerful nuclear arsenal, Israel far out measures the Palestinian militias. We look forward to an Entente between the KSA and Iran. Then a peace agreement between the KSA and Israel. Following that the brokers for peace must be none other than Iran and KSA. With an eventual Palestinian State, there must be quasi-religious/political oversight and regulation through the potential arbitration of the KSA (Sunnite), and Iran (Shiite). Keep the US, Russia, and China out of the equation. If Israel insists on the US, then Russia can step in for Palestine.
Smearing the name of Palestine and Palestinians, will not erase these people off the face of the earth. Neither from global memory. Therefore, Israel must refrain from disinformation, misinformation, and smearing. It is unnecessarily offensive.
We all want peace in the Region. Through peace there is security. Through security, we can all achieve progress and prosperity. We are all tired and wasted with the perpetuating Israeli/Palestinian problem. Like every story, this should have an ending, whichever way it goes depends on the belligerent parties and the compromises they should be forced to make and not left to make.
“Simplify it, and it will be simple. Complicate it and it will never end!” is an old Lebanese adage that in this case, fits so appropriately, like a hand to a glove.
Sammy RNAJ
WhatsApp +96170499352
Medium — @srn.abuj &/me/
LinkedIn — /in/Sammy-rnaj-5847b8287
Twitter/X — @SammyRa97511456
Facebook (Remote Hub) — /profile.id=100080997426450
Facebook (The Reader’s Corner) — /profile.id=100094246617227
Quora — /profile/Sammy-RNAJ
