As Israelis celebrate sixty-six years of independence, they recall that they still have not managed to make peace with the Muslim world. However, despite the difficult situation, they continue to seek peace with their Muslim neighbors.
Israelis are celebrating sixty-six years of being an independent country. As a state, they have thrived economically, scientifically, educationally, socially and democratically. Israel is a country that is a model in the Middle East for women’s rights, gay rights, minority rights, freedom of the press, academic freedom and freedom of thought. No one is prevented from expressing a political opinion, even if it is hated by the majority.
However, despite the numerous accomplishments that Israelis are proud of over the last sixty-six years, they have still failed to reach a peace agreement with most of the Muslim world. This remains the case even though Israel has a lot to offer the Muslim world when it comes to high-tech, agriculture, scientific innovation, educational exchanges, etc. Often, the hatred of Israel is irrational and based solely on the rejection of the idea that a non-Muslim people created a country on land that belonged to Muslims in the past.
Israel’s enemies refuse to recognize her right to exist as a Jewish state under any borders. The hatred of the idea of a Jewish state existing is so strong that many in the Muslim world would rather see the Palestinians living as stateless refugees than granting them a country on the condition that they recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. As a result of such sentiments, the peace negotiations with the Palestinians have collapsed. Netanyahu freed some Palestinian terrorists, but didn’t feel the need to make further concessions to a Palestinian leadership that didn’t come to terms with Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.
Even when peace talks existed, Fatah official Tawfiq Tirawi stressed, “We have conducted negotiations, while not laying down the rifle.” Last Passover, Jerusalem Online News reported that Baruch Mizrahi was murdered by Palestinians. Within the past week, Jerusalem Online News noted that 19-year-old Sheli Dadon was murdered by someone with nationalist motives. It appears that the Palestinians have not put down their rifles and could wage an armed uprising again when they perceive that it politically suits them to do so.
The Palestinian leadership does not view violence against Israelis as something negative. On Israeli Memorial Day, Palestinian Media Watch reported that both Fatah and Hamas decided to praise the Sbarro Pizzeria suicide bomber that murdered 15 people. Also on Israeli Memorial Day, they reported that a children’s television program run by Hamas called for “shooting all the Jews.” On Israeli Independence Day, Jerusalem Online News reported that Hamas delivered a threatening anti-Israel animated video message titled “the end of hope,” claiming the Zionist army is dissolved, called upon Israelis to move to Russia and Germany, and referred to Israel’s capital city as Bayit Al Maqdis instead of Jerusalem.
Israel’s status in other Muslim majority countries is not more encouraging. Jerusalem Online News reported that Iran’s Foreign Minister was interrogated for recognizing the Holocaust and was forced to explain his move as a political maneuver designed to undermine Israel’s abilities to speak out against Iran. Regardless, Iran continues to finance and support numerous anti-Israel Islamist terrorist organizations and deny Israel’s right to exist.
Out of all of the Arab countries, the only countries that Israel has peace with are Egypt and Jordan. Even with these countries, the peace is very unstable, anti-semitism is commonly expressed within both countries, and exchanges between Israelis and Jordanians, Israelis and Egyptians are rare. It is not safe for Israelis to travel to Egypt anymore, despite the existence of a peace agreement and good military cooperation with the Egyptian Army. As the Arab Spring spreads to Jordan and the monarchy increasingly relies on the Muslim Brotherhood to stay in power, it is increasingly not advised for Israelis to travel to Jordan as well.
Even Turkey, which used to be a common Israeli tourist destination, now has strained relations with the State of Israel. Under Erdogan’s rule, radical Islam has increased within the country alongside anti-semitic propaganda. While some argue that this could change if the AKP looses power, the last local election results within Turkey alongside the widespread voting irregularities raise questions whether the AKP will be out of power soon.
Nevertheless, despite the pessimistic situation that exists for Israelis regarding their relations with the Muslim world presently, the Israeli people still yearn for peace. As Israel’s Declaration of Independence declares, “We offer peace and unity to all the neighboring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all.” For the average Israeli, peace is a beautiful dream that they hope to see in their lifetimes.
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