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These are very dark days for Israelis and Palestinians. And for those in the midst of the current round of hostilities, the light at the end of the tunnel feels further away than ever. Hence, I was very pleased to read in Monday’s Arab News Ronald S. Lauder’s opinion piece, “Voices of peace can find strength through unity,” which, in its realistic optimism, rightly objects to the notion of dividing the “daughters and sons of Abraham.” I agree that we should not be doomed to fight each other to the end of history and fall victim to those who thrive on driving a wedge between Israelis and Arabs, as well as Jews, Muslims and Christians, instead of finding what unites us all in peace.
It was also personally pleasing for me that Lauder, who is president of the World Jewish Congress, chose to write his impassioned plea to bring an end to the horrendous Israeli-Palestinian conflict and divisions between the Abrahamic religions in our very own Arab News — and not for the first time. I was delighted that such a globally prominent Jewish figure chose to write in the newspaper that has been a home for my columns for nearly eight years.
World politics and conflict continue to bring controversy and disagreements on these events to the fore, something that is especially true with the present conflict in Gaza. Nevertheless, Arab News continues to adhere to its ethos of being a welcoming “town square” of open and respectful debate, encouraging different points of view and also reflecting the positive changes that are taking place in our region. I have felt privileged to be part of this conversation.
This is where Lauder’s article was vital both in its timing and in its target audience. In the Middle East, we are standing at a very dangerous crossroads. Over what is now nearly 10 months, some of the worst manifestations of human behavior have come to the fore. Even worse, as the war in Gaza continues to rage, the danger of a full-blown war on Israel’s northern border, between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah, frighteningly appears to be very much on the cards. This is a war that would harbor the danger of dragging in the entire region, with mainly ordinary people paying the price for the failings and inadequacies of their leaderships.
Hence, those of us who believe that we have more in common than what separates us and that we are all human beings first and foremost should say so loudly and clearly and with no fear. Lauder said it this week and we all, in this paper, advance this outlook as our common cause and mission.
What should unite us over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, something that has been proven beyond any doubt since Oct. 7, is that violence and fantasies of “total victory” and bringing the other side to capitulation are both morally deplorable and politically unachievable. In every aspect of human existence, the conflict has only caused suffering. Although the suffering of the Palestinians is immeasurably worse because they live under occupation and are militarily, politically and economically weaker, Israelis have also suffered significant losses — the price of not resolving the conflict to the detriment of its society and democracy is evident.
It was personally pleasing for me that Ronald S. Lauder, who is president of the World Jewish Congress, chose to write his impassioned plea in our very own Arab News.
Yossi Mekelberg
Lauder’s contribution is highly significant in underlining the importance of not leaving this conflict only to politicians, but for voices from all communities to involve themselves and throw their weight behind reaching a fair and just solution. Sadly, especially throughout the current round of horrific bloodshed, too much space has been given to the haters and those who speak in zero-sum game terms. There is no doubt in my mind that Jewish communities across the world are invested in seeing Israel coexist peacefully with its neighbors and in supporting the right of Palestinians to self-determination. These are two sides of the same coin.
The key words in Lauder’s piece were empathy, understanding and hope, and rightly so. What distinguishes human beings from other forms of existence in nature is the ability to feel and express empathy toward others, as well as equally being hopeful in the bleakest of times. Tragically, in times of war, we also witness extreme cruelty and indifference toward the suffering of others. It is only when we reaffirm that no individual or group of people have superior rights over others, and that our suffering is equal to the suffering of others, that we can move toward establishing a better world.
In the case of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there is a long overdue imperative to recognize these rights and the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians, as well as an urgent need to bring this excruciatingly protracted conflict to a peaceful end. For this to happen, both sides need to do more soul-searching than playing of the blame game, they need a more forward-looking stance than that of settling scores, and they need to unite their forces in line with the values of peace, coexistence and reconciliation, rather than along religious or ethnic lines, as important as these identities might be for them.
The alternative has only inflicted calamity and sadly has the potential to do so again in the future with even more hideous consequences. We should also be honest with ourselves that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an asymmetric one and, hence, the stronger and in this case the occupying force has more responsibility to be flexible in its approach to a peace process and agreement. This does not make the Palestinian side always right or just, but the main cards are still in Israel’s hands and playing them right is also in its national interest.
I am confident that here, on the pages of this newspaper, we will continue, in our different and unique ways, to promote our common values and the need for justice and fairness for everyone. This is also our guide in our attitude to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and support for a two-state solution that should not be seen as a compromise, but as a manifestation of the Abrahamic people’s system of beliefs and as a means of guaranteeing security and prosperity.
- Yossi Mekelberg is professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. X: @YMekelberg