PEACE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE ARABS?

Conflict between Israel and the Arab world has been ongoing before Israel’s War of Independence and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Attempts to establish a Jewish state in harmony with the Arab countries that border the territory called Palestine began decades before and since 1948, without success. Those efforts failed, and future efforts may fail, because of territorial and biblical history, religion and the various conflicts engendered by and between them, the political natures and rivalries of the various Muslim states, the need for a non-Arab scapegoat for the Arab condition, economic structures built on two-class societies with their oligarchic leaderships intent on retaining their power and wealth, and above all, because education to peace did not override education to war between and among the parties to the conflict.

Attempts have been made to achieve “Peace Treaties” between Israel and its neighbors mostly by emissaries from the United States conducting marathon negotiation sessions with Palestinian Arabs and Israeli government functionaries. Historical records show that preparation for war on the part of all parties was constant during these negotiations and that the Palestinians were in intimate contact with leaders from the surrounding Arab oligarchies to obtain input, permission, and veto messages to carry back to the negotiating tables. Financial support for Palestinian leadership was a hidden controlling element in the negotiations.

Though the apparent goal of the negotiations was “Peace Treaty,” the true goal of the Arab world was continuation of the conflict, for numerous reasons of self-interest. No matter how close success appeared, an insurmountable obstacle for one side or the other somehow appeared at the table. Failure of negotiations thus conducted was fore-ordained.

Regardless of the historical truth or accuracy of these assertions, for one reason or another, after peace treaties were signed between Egypt and Israel and Jordan and Israel, no additional treaty was signed with any neighboring country nor with any representative Palestinian entity. Inasmuch as unforced treaties are generally viewed as mutually beneficial, it is apparent that peace treaties were not viewed as beneficial to the rest of the controlling Arab world regardless of how beneficial potential positive treaty outcomes might be for the Palestinian Arabs.

These dishonorable tragic relationships between the surrounding Arab states and the Palestinians and their multitude of refugees from the various wars between Israel and its Arab neighbors have wrought havoc on the economic and psychological conditions of this benighted group of people.

Now, in January of 2009, Lebanon led by Hezbolla and Syria led by Bashir al-Assad, both under the sway of Iran, the two remaining border nations at war with Israel, and the fragmented Palestinian people, the Gaza portion of whom are in a constant state of war with Israel since Hamas established control of the territory, do not appear to place value on achieving peace with Israel at this time. To the contrary, those three entities with overt military support from Iran are engaged in a race with each other to determine who will win the prize for destroying the State of Israel and murdering all the Jews who have the temerity to live there and who oppose the goal of their own extinction.

The remaining oligarchies in the Arab world appear to be unsure about whether to accept Israel’s existence at all and whether to formalize a relationship with her. It appears that the growth of Iranian military power is an important determinant in making this decision. Oil markets and religious competition are impediments to cooperative action in all areas of Islamic life except war. Unless and until a change takes place in the value systems of the nations of the world of Islam, there is little hope for a peace settlement of any kind acceptable to Arabs and Israel.