23.12.202323.12.2023

When will there finally be peace in the Middle East?

Historians know that history has repeatedly succeeded in ending seemingly endless and hateful conflicts – often quite surprisingly. Can such a surprise also be achieved in 2024 in the Ukraine war and the Middle East conflict?

It hardly seems possible at the end of 2023. But even Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion knew: “Anyone who does not believe in miracles is not a realist.” This war-tested founder of the state knew what he was talking about. But both Israel’s current government and the Palestinians do not look like de-escalation at the moment.

The terrorist Hamas has more support in Gaza and even more in the West Bank than before October 7. And in Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu says: “I am proud to have prevented the two-state solution.” But that seems to be the only conceivable solution to the never-ending conflict that has been going on since 1948. Instead, Natanyahu calls for “the destruction of Hamas” and says: “Only we determine the end of the war.” Israel’s head of government does not even seem willing to agree to a ceasefire to free the Israeli hostages. So far, 80 hostages have been freed in four days of ceasefire and only one hostage in 80 days of military force.

This result is reminiscent of the aftermath of September 11 in the USA. George W. Bush then launched his “war on terror”. There were a few thousand terrorists back then. Now, after the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are well over 100,000 terrorists. It is no coincidence that US President Biden warned his colleague Netanyahu not to “repeat this mistake of the USA after October 7”. Even a terrorist organization like Hamas cannot be completely wiped out militarily. Ideologies cannot be defeated by force.

There is still no idea on either side about the end of violence. Anyone who uncritically sings or shouts “Palestine – from the river to the sea” on Germany’s streets is consciously or unconsciously overlooking the fact that this “battle cry” seeks the destruction of Israel.
The two-state solution

Netanyahu, Hamas and their supporters want the one-state solution: either just a Jewish state or just a Palestinian state. But there are two peoples living in Israel/Palestine today. And there is actually enough land for two. But the two peoples have been at war on this territory for over 75 years. Netanyahu and his right-wing nationalist ministers also know that the two-state solution is the only realistic one, which is why they have prevented it so far. Everyone only wants to “destroy” the other side.

Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israel and threaten further terrorist attacks, while Israel brutally destroys the entire Gaza Strip, where over two million people no longer know where to flee to. Prayer alone does not help. No one knows this better than the Pope with his constant intercessions for peace. Pope Francis has not yet succeeded in acting as a peace diplomat in either Ukraine or the Middle East. Perhaps another idea is more helpful and more concrete: negotiation.

The director of the Anne Frank Educational Center and professor of transnational social work at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences makes this welcome suggestion in the Christmas edition of the Süddeutsche Zeitung: the German government should take the initiative and convene a Middle East peace conference. In its coalition agreement, the Ampel party had already committed itself to Israel’s security: “Action is needed – for example in the form of an international conference involving the USA, the EU and moderate Arab states.”

This idea still seems to be a vision today. But the visions of today have often been the realities of tomorrow. History also proves this. If you want peace, you have to prepare for peace.

Source

Franz Alt 2023 | Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)