A new lens on the Palestinian struggle
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On a sweltering summer evening in Tripoli, Libya, a prominent Arab philosopher made a statement that still resonates in my memory: “Resolving the Palestinian issue is far simpler than you imagine.”
This unexpected assertion came during a casual gathering outside a tourist district chalet, where we sought respite from the day’s heat. I was still adjusting to life in Tripoli, having recently relocated from Benghazi. The move was not by choice, but necessity. The government’s decision to nationalize the press had shuttered the doors of Al-Haqiqa newspaper, where I had worked. Like countless others, I found myself adrift, searching for new opportunities in a land that had become a sanctuary for displaced Palestinians grappling with the aftermath of the June 1967 catastrophe. Even now, years later, its repercussions continue to reverberate through Palestinian and Arab societies alike.
My gaze settled on the ever-smiling face of Sadeq Al-Naihoum, a regular visitor to Libya seeking refuge from Helsinki’s biting cold. “Professor Sadeq,” I ventured, “how did you come to such a conclusion?” Others around us, including Al-Naihoum’s companion Rashad Bashir Al-Houni, turned their attention to one of the Arab world’s most prominent philosophers and thinkers of his short life (Al-Naihoum was just 57 when he died in 1994). “Declare to the world that Palestinians — both Muslims and Christians — are willing to convert to Judaism in exchange for the right of return for refugees displaced in 1948, just as it happens for Jews worldwide,” he proposed.
Any lasting solution must acknowledge the role of religion in the conflict while simultaneously recognizing the permanence of each side’s faith traditions
Bakir Oweida
Al-Naihoum’s provocative proposition caused ripples of astonishment. The audacity of his suggestion — that Palestinians, both Muslim and Christian, might consider converting to Judaism — was breathtaking in its scope. Yet, equally surprising was how this renowned intellectual seemed to brush aside the intricate complexities inherent in such a religious transformation. When questioned, he clarified: “I am not advocating for Arabs to forsake their faith. I know well that an Arab will not abandon his religion, nor am I asking for that. The Palestinian cause requires a new form of challenge. It is time for Palestinian political and intellectual leaders to craft strategies that catch Israel off guard. We need approaches that lay bare the contradictions in the claim that a Jewish state is the sole guarantor of security and peace for Jews.”
The conversation underscored a critical point: the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has increasingly shifted toward a religious narrative, partly due to the failure of secular Arab regimes and their aligned parties and movements to address the issue effectively. This shift demands a new approach to conflict resolution. Regardless of the merits of Al-Naihoum’s thought experiment, it highlights a crucial reality: any lasting solution must acknowledge the role of religion in the conflict while simultaneously recognizing the permanence of each side’s faith traditions.
The path to peace, even if temporary, requires all parties to accept the coexistence of different religions in the region. Without this fundamental acknowledgment, no proposed roadmap, regardless of its architects, is likely to succeed.
- Bakir Oweida is a Palestinian journalist who pursued a professional career in journalism in Libya in 1968, where he worked at Al-Haqiqa newspaper in Benghazi, then Al-Balagh and Al-Jihad in Tripoli. He has written for several Arab publications in Britain since 1978. He worked at Al-Arab newspaper, Al-Thadamun magazine and the international Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat. He has also worked as a consultant at the online newspaper Elaph.
This article first appeared in Asharq Al-Awsat.
