Al Shindagah

POLITICS 6 | Al Shindagah | Issue 139 he human race has been gifted with an amazing capacity for problem- solving. With God’s will there is nothing we cannot achieve. Scientists have cured illnesses that used to be death sentences. We take for granted that we can turn wind and sun into electricity, sea into drinking water and hold face-to-face conversations with people on the other side of the planet. We have also been successful in resolving the bitterest of conflicts. Who could have imagined that Germany and Japan would become two of the closet US allies or that negotiations could bring down the Berlin Wall and free Soviet satellite nations from Communism? Humanity always finds a way forward on the path to peace, with one exception – the Israeli- T Palestinian conflict that has painfully dragged on in one form or another ever since the birth of the Israeli state condemning millions to misery. This untenable situation has resulted in serial wars between Israelis and Arabs and failure to reach an accord is not for the want of trying on the part of mediators. In 2000, a Palestinian state was close to being a reality but was thwarted by leadership changes in Israel and the US where voters delivered hawks. Any efforts in that direction have been nothing other than token since then. Palestinian hopes have been dimmed and most fear they have been abandoned by the community of nations and by a Palestinian- fatigued media. I have been batting for my Palestinian brothers and sisters since I rushed home to listen to Former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s weekly radio addresses as a boy. Former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat was a personal friend of mine and until today I do what I can to alleviate the financial burdens of Palestinians in dire need. It goes without saying that I would love to see a Palestinian state emerge on 1967 borders in my lifetime but reality dictates that pragmatism must prevail over what has become a mirage. I was once an idealist; no longer. Unrealistic dreams are of no use to a people yearning for a place where they can live peacefully and prosper in dignity. The painful truth is that resistance against a militarized, nuclear state has only served to elicit a brutal backlash encouraging LET’S GRAB IT! A WINDOW FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE HAS OPENED Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor • Published in the media on 21 November 2017