The Middle East is rapidly changing. No orientalist could have predicted the complex processes now taking place at a frenzied speed in our neighborhood.
And suddenly, amid all the violence, chaos and destruction, a hope for change has arisen. Our leaders have the duty to make every effort to take advantage of this window of opportunity and fully utilize all possibilities for positive change in our region.
Our Arab neighbors’ loss of confidence in the U.S. has created new opportunities. In recent years, secret ties have been woven between Israel and a number of Arab nations with which we have no official relations.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s remarks on Sunday about peace were just one of the many fruits that have been borne as a result of Israel’s investment in fostering closer relations with its neighbors. The new brave world we live in requires us to have leaders who exhibit both vision and pragmatism. Our leaders must be responsible, but also able to engage in controlled risk-taking.
More than a half-century late, many Arab leaders are realizing that shared hatred of the State of Israel does nothing to quell the historic ongoing conflict between Sunnis and Shiites.
The time has come to seriously examine the possibility of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. Have years of violent struggle, diplomatic wrangling and futile talks convinced Palestinian leaders to finally engage in genuine dialogue and stop lamenting about the past? Can they now instead look to a better future? Peace rejectionism has only led the Palestinians to a dead end.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s desire to bring the Labor party into his coalition is not based on political considerations. Netanyahu’s current coalition is more stable than ever and none of its members are interested in new elections at this time.
But peace, like war, requires national unity. Such unity will show the world that Israel is serious about pursuing peace. It is possible that the effort to achieve peace will not succeed, but the effort is nevertheless necessary. Knowing that we tried to reach peace will strengthen the resilience of the citizens of Israel in future wars, if and when they come.
Yet, lo and behold, leftist MKs who for years have preached to the Israeli public about the need for a peace agreement with the Palestinians, are now forming a rejectionist front against national unity. It appears their talk of peace consisted merely of empty slogans. Or they are afraid to have their ideas put to a real test.
Leftists in Israel hate Netanyahu more than they love peace. This hatred is what is driving them to prevent national unity, and they are thus placing personal interests above national interests.
There is no telling if the negotiations to bring Labor into the government will succeed. It may be that it is easier to make peace with external enemies than with internal political rivals.
For the original article, visit israelhayom.com.
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