Peace in Palestine

I agree with recent reports indicating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be the biggest stumbling block in achieving peace in the Middle East. For one, Bibi believes that there is a fundamental clash of civilizations between the West and Islam, and for that, Israel will never really be at peace with its neighbors.

I agree - with Bibi. Israel can never and should never retreat to the pre-1967 borders. To do so would be a ticking time bomb that will explode in Israel's face in the foreseeable future. The Arab world has never and will most likely never accept Israel, and given historical precedents, such stance by the Arab world will in all likelihood and for all intents and purposes, will continue.

Israel has to retain the West Bank at its present condition and status. That is the only way for Israel to have a reasonable chance for survival in the future. Israel's neighbors are populated by angry masses and governed by even more angrier fanatical Islamists. Given the chance, the opportunity and the resources, they will in no time and without a doubt hammer to destroy Israel. The instability of Arab politics, not to mention its cadre of either secular corrupt rulers or single-minded, ruthless Islamists will ensure that the Middle East will become a playground for violence and hatred in the next decade or so.

Unless a grassroots renaissance sweeps the Middle East, the ordinary Arab will always see a one-sided view of things biased against Israel, regardless of the outcome of any peace agreement. Israel therefore has no choice but to hedge its security, future and existence not with an Independent Palestinian state, but for continued control to the West Bank.

The ephemeral nature of Arab politics suggests that even if a Palestinian state would exist, it's control by secularists is by no means guaranteed, and without a secular, progressive leaning Palestinian state, Israel's security will always be hostage to the whims and caprices of Islamists who seem to agree in one thing - the destruction of Israel. Therefore, peace will never be at Israel's hand for the long term, it has to always think in terms of contingencies, and contingencies include the retention of the West Bank, the whole of Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. It has no choice because the Arab world has never moved beyond seeing Israel as a thing to be destroyed.

Unfortunately, Bibi is right and peace in the Middle East has as always, been elusive.