CDHR Commentary: In spite of momentous odds and uncertainties, one can only hope that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, imposed by former and current US presidents, will hold and lead to durable coexistence between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples who have suffered colossally. In addition to Netanyahu and Hamas, there are many global and regional duplicitous forces whose dubious financial and strategic interests depend on exploitive stability in Middle East. For instance, the absolute Saudi rulers, especially Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and his Gulf dynastic allies’ priority is to normalize relations with Israel for regional economic security and domination reasons. Normalizing Saudi/Israeli relations is one of President Trump’s top priorities.
For decades, the Israeli and Palestinian peoples’ lives and livelihoods have been used by regional regimes and their global handlers as bargaining chips, as exemplified by the current bargains in the Qatari capital, Duha. After 16 months of death and destruction, mostly in Gaza, a dim ray of hope in the form of an agreement hammered out in Duha appeared on the horizon for suffering Palestinians and Israelis. The question is whether the long-term objectives of the Israelis and Palestinians rulers, the Arab dictators and the powers to which they are beholden are peace and stability based on justice and human rights? The answer is no. These rulers rely on self-instigated turmoil and distorted perception of others to deflect their peoples’ attention from internal social and political failures. This repressive political environment is not conducive to peaceful domestic or regional coexistence, progress or tolerance of differences.
Workable solution? The diverse peoples of the region are yearning and dying for freedom, peace, stability, prosperity and above all, to determine their destinies as the visionary organizers of the 2011 Arab Spring endeavored to do. That liberating movement, which envisioned a freer progressive future for a burgeoning generation of Arab men and women, was torpedoed by the same anachronistic men who are meeting in Duha to determine the fate of the Israeli and Palestinian people, specifically, and the Arab people in general.
