Arab world owes it to Israel to help build lasting peace
It’s been a tough 21 months for Israel, but we are probably approaching the end of the war. Israel stands victorious, after blunting Iran and its proxies, and can be judged to have saved the Middle East from an axis of Islamic extremists. Now the Islamic world should return the favour and help Israel defeat its own.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Hezbollah held Lebanon to ransom, Syria was abused by Assad and Hamas exploited Gaza for its ideological purposes. This was made possible by widespread support from an ideological Iranian regime that brutally grinds against its own people.
This “axis of resistance” overreached and underestimated when it grabbed the Israeli tiger by the tail. Rather than sparking the promised regional war, Israel picked off its enemies one by one and the axis ended up a weakened shell of its pre-October 2023 alliance.
Now Lebanon and Syria are looking at brighter futures without Iranian meddling and, perhaps, Iraq as well. The people of Gaza still endure a brutal war and massive suffering that may soon, I hope, deliver a leadership that prioritises improving the lives of Gazans above worsening the lives of Israelis.
Even Iran is at a crossroads. The current regime may be persuaded to chart a more conciliatory path with the West that eschews nuclear weapons and seeks to build its terribly weak economy. This may be the country’s only means of avoiding a civil war or the overthrow of the weakened Islamic Republic.
The Gulf is, perhaps, breathing the greatest sigh of relief. The Saudis and the United Arab Emirates, long-time enemies of Iran, as well as lower-profile countries Kuwait and Qatar, did not want Iran to have a nuclear bomb.
They feared its use but also the umbrella it would provide for Iran to ferment unrest in their countries. Although unable to publicly cheer, they are, no doubt, happy with the outcome of the Israeli and US campaign.
Turkey and Egypt are in the same boat. Along with Saudi Arabia, they feared that an Iranian bomb would necessitate seeking a bomb of their own in order to maintain regional parity. This is now off the table, to the relief of all.
By defeating Iran and its proxies, Israel has done a service to the countries of the Middle East. Now it is their turn to return the favour.
Israel is being led by the most right-wing government in its history. Ministers who were recently considered outside acceptable political partnerships have been sewn together by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a coalition and enable him to remain in power.
On a geopolitical level, their pro-settlement, anti-Arab policies damage Israel’s image. Domestically, they are an even greater disaster, stoking conflict with the 20 per cent of Israel’s population that is Arab, antagonising secularists and pushing for settlements in the West Bank (and even Gaza).
Now is the time for a bold and realistic peace initiative from the Arab world. Reminiscent of Anwar Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem. Such an initiative, from several of the countries that have benefited from Iran’s defeat, should reach out to Israel with the hand of peace. If it goes smoothly, more Muslim countries will join the movement. This could conceivably include dozens of countries across Asia and Africa.
The hand should set out the concessions required from Israel for normalisation. These should certainly include an end to the war in Gaza but also demand a path to limited self-government for the West Bank as part of a long-term solution.
It will need to be slow, staged and supervised, but the goal should be clear. An engaged relationship between Israel and the Muslim world will maintain pressure on both Israel and the Palestinians to co-operate.
If enough countries reach out, and the concessions are reasonable, it will be enthusiastically embraced by the Israeli public. But no formula is likely to be acceptable to Netanyahu’s current coalition. Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are likely to leave the government. Even some on the right wing of Likud may resign. This would require Netanyahu to either form a new coalition, seek support from the opposition or go to elections.
Suddenly, Israel will have to make the choice that so many across the Middle East, such as Lebanon, Syria and Iran, must make. The choice between partnership, progress and moderation or extremism, enmity and war. I have faith that Israel would make the right choice. If only the Muslim world did us the favour we did them.
Adam Goodvach has a masters in Islamic studies. An Australian, he has lived in Israel since 2011.
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