“It should be…”, by Ahmed Salah, from Egypt

“The Middle East is facing a lot of Crises and Serious Challenges…”, a typical introduction, boring and repeated in every article that speaks about the Middle East.

When I was asked to give my personal vision of the Middle East in the near future, it took days of thinking. I was really baffled. What can I say about this endless conflict zone? A zone that has failed to cure its crises, despite many leaders, politicians, and professors with thousands of their books and research over many decades. A zone that those who are born in it automatically find themselves the enemy of another nation, even though they do not personally feel that animosity!
I will not mention this conflict’s nature because simply, you know it well. When you turn your TV on and witness abnormal catastrophes and chaos in the news, the probability that its occurrence is somewhere in the Middle East is 90%. Even if it was not, the probability of its direct or indirect relation with the Middle East will be 100% without a doubt.

Furthermore, I will not mention the reasons behind these conflicts because there is no field to list them in here and it does not matter to me now. Summarizing in the following words, I will map out what I see – or at least what I hope to see – in this region after 10 years of peace, focusing on the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. Also take into consideration that my opinions follow the philosophy of “preventing bloodshed” and/or “no more loss of life for human beings.”

In 2025, keeping in mind the origin of violence and instability in the Middle East and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, which includes Israelis, Palestinians, Gaza, Jerusalem, and other related issues:

The Israeli side: In that time, there will be a new generation who will realize, maybe for the first time, that there is no need for a conflict with the Palestinians, and they should recognize a Palestinian state, without question. They will come to this conclusion through nothing but simple logic, and they will ask themselves, “Why should we have Red Alerts and underground hiding places?” instead of, “How should we protect ourselves?” Moderates will succeed at opening a new avenue for trust and a real desire for peace through honest negotiations. In their media, they will announce, “Peace is unattainable in the Middle East without achieving justice for all parties of the conflict. We decided to recognize a Palestinian state in exchange for their recognition of the State of Israel, living side by side.”

The Palestinian side: After years of suffering, they will feel what it means to have a national anthem when they listen to it inside the UN and other international forums around the world. They will have a national identity, a new constitution, planned and specific borders protected by a limited military power that serves them. There will be a common Palestinian force and the IDF working together along the borders to ensure security for all civilians. There will be no more demands.

Gaza: It is not a big dilemma, but there are some mocking comments from Israel, which only see Gaza as a part of Palestine, and that it must join with the West Bank via bridges or tunnels. I will say that there is no need to mock. Palestine and Gaza are in the same geo-political situation as the US and Alaska! Gaza is a province that follows the state of Palestine and its constitution. Israel has the right to control all procedures and to manage all moves to and from both sides, just as Canada does with Americans who travel to Alaska by land through Canada. I say that this new situation will definitely eliminate Hamas’ existence, or at least eliminate rockets and tunnels.

Jerusalem: Yes! It is the real problem. Is it an Arabic city? Is it an Israeli city? It is the capital to whom? This ancient city which contains the most important holy sites for the three biggest religions on earth, makes it the capital of all of humanity. Therefore, it is not Arabic or Israeli. This ancient city will be managed by both states for their own citizens, under direct supervision from UN by UNIFIL forces to organize the security affairs between both sides. An effective supervision by UNESCO will be needed for more attention to the holy places, and to make sure that they are available to all people without restrictions.

In 2025, this new situation will force many Islamic and Arabic countries to normalize relations with Israel as a state. They will allow their athletes to compete and participate in social and sporting events where Israel is present. Many countries will open the door for tourist visits to Israel, as well as religious tourism to Jerusalem, and the ability to move freely through Palestine and Israel. GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council]. will also rescind their restrictions on Arabs who visited Israel, and let them enter their countries. On other hand, Iran will officially be given its right to possess nuclear capabilities without using them. IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] will see it’s the best way to treat with this issue is putting this file broadly to get rights to search for nuclear weapons in any time there. But this will lead to more instability between Iran and GCC

Hint: In 2025, we will see Netanyahu and Livni saying, “Two states is the solution.”

If 2025 comes and you still do not see this news on your TV: “Both sides agree to halt violence and look further into its causes, and to return to peace negotiations,” you can be sure that there will be a price to pay, and everyone who lives in this area will pay it without exception.

Ahmed,

YaLa Young Leaders