In its March and April issues, American Foreign Affairs magazine, which is influential among American elites and potentially European readers, has published a series of articles in its March and April issues that delve into recent events in the Middle East, particularly the latest developments in Palestine. featured editorial articles.
The magazine featured two notable articles. The first book, titled “The Strange Resurrection of the Two-State Solution,” was written by Martin Indyke, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel and a veteran peace negotiator during the Bill Clinton administration. He played a pivotal role in drafting the first meaningful agreement between Israel. Palestinian.
The second article, titled “Only the Middle East can solve the Middle East,” was written by Dalia Dassa Kay and Sanam Baqir, Middle East researchers at a US-based think tank. Additionally, the magazine featured another article titled “Israel’s Self-Destruction” written by Alf Ben, the editor-in-chief of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. In his paper, Ben concludes that prosperity cannot be achieved without peace with the Palestinians.
The magazine’s focus on the two-state solution emphasizes the importance of the Palestinian issue in debates within the global political realm concerning issues of war and peace. This increased attention comes against the backdrop of the unjust killings of Palestinians in Gaza.
World opinion no longer pays attention to Hamas’ actions. Instead, the world is now focused on the more pressing question of how many Palestinians Israel will kill. How long will these massacres be tolerated?
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“If you attack, we will fight back.”
The regional situation is becoming increasingly clear. Following the recent escalation, the Iran-Israel relations document has reached a stalemate. Iran’s attacks on Israel were amplified by Iranian supporters but downplayed by Israel and its allies. Conversely, Israel’s retaliatory attacks on Iran were minimized by Tehran and its allies, but exaggerated by Israel and its allies.
Both sides employed tactics of exaggeration and underestimation to appease their respective populations. The question remains: Will Iran continue to claim a proxy for peace-threatening skirmishes in its Arab neighbors? This is not an Israeli obsession, as long as it is within the so-called “rules of engagement” game.
The lesson is clear. Any political party that violates these rules will face consequences, even if it is an Iranian political party. The underlying message is simple. “If you attack, we will fight back.”
Given the upcoming elections and the continuation of the conflict in Ukraine, it is unlikely that the United States will intervene significantly unless its forces in the region face a major attack, although that is considered unlikely.
Furthermore, although Washington continues to support Israel financially and militarily, its direct involvement beyond this role appears to be limited. As a result, as the Gaza conflict drags on, the potential for the conflict to escalate increases.
This leads to Arab diplomacy starting to take meaningful steps towards various initiatives. The second article covers a number of topics, including resolving the conflict with Qatar, diplomatic engagement with Iran to ease tensions, and expanding relations with Eastern Bloc countries, both economic and political, and in particular with China. It points out an important theme. It also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balanced approach in relations with Russia.
Arab states are increasingly diversifying their involvement in the region, moving away from traditional reliance solely on U.S. security arrangements.
Instead, both countries are actively exploring alternatives, exemplified by their participation in conferences such as the Baghdad Cooperation Conference in 2021 and the subsequent Oman conference in 2022, as well as participation in Tehran and Ankara. etc. participated.
Arab countries are also engaged in various regional initiatives, including participation in forums such as the Middle East Gas Forum, which included representatives from Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Greece, Jordan, France, and the Palestinian National Authority.
Notably, the Arab world has made great strides toward regional cooperation, exemplified by the historic Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab states. These efforts highlight Arab states’ efforts to build security partnerships, with or without direct U.S. involvement.
In theory, this article suggests that events in Gaza after October 7, 2023 may have temporarily halted progress on this path. But the real test lies in the aftermath of the Gaza war. The report recognizes that war and conflict only lead to destruction and that peace is the only possible path forward, and that the peoples of the region, including Israel, must actively pursue this path. It emphasizes that.
Egypt-Qatar plan
Central to this pursuit are proposals such as the Egypt-Qatar Plan, developed to facilitate a ceasefire in Gaza, and the It’s a collaborative effort.
The plan has broad support from Arab countries and is consistent with the principles outlined in the Arab Peace Initiative, first presented by Saudi Arabia in 2002. In essence, these proposals provide a roadmap towards peace and security in the region.
The devastating Gaza war was a stark reminder that military force alone cannot deliver the solutions sought by Israeli hardliners. Despite its devastating outcome, the conflict prompted a reassessment by all involved, dispelling illusions that had long shaped their views and resonated with the public.
Now is the time to consider establishing a regional security forum that involves all parties. From its inception to the present, this conflict has evolved into a repeating cycle of zero-sum outcomes, fueled by familiar players and new competitors alike motivated by evolving narratives and ambitions.
Mohammad Alulmayhi is a writer and professor of political sociology at Kuwait University
