By Dr. Miklos K. Radvanyi

In a global historical perspective, carrying on  paradoxical wars against the past by terroristically destroying themselves as well as others, have been the eternal undertakings of all those individuals, ethnic groups as well as nations who have felt – rightly or wrongly – that their positions in the present and their prospects for the future are bordering on utter nothingness without any likelihood of significant changes for the better.  Consequently, by this feeling of being nothing but cast-off outsiders in a universe of more flourishing beings and organizations, they have convinced themselves that if unmitigated hatred of the latter renders the former morally “worthier” human beings, then they will be more effective to fight progress with whatever means possible, including extreme violence.  

Correspondingly, based on the spiritual and political differences between the Prophet Muhammad and the three Jewish tribes in Medina, anti-Judaism has become a part of political Islam from the 7th century CE.    This mainly political anti-Judaism has gained more strength in proportion as Jews have started returning to their “Holy Land” cum “Eretz Israel” in greater numbers around the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries.  Then, the whole history of the Arab against the Jew conflict from the Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917, has become more bloody in its intensity.

Making the already overcomplicated situation even  less manageable, on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the Head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel.  The ensuing military invasion by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, resulted in Israel’s victory and the Arab defeat.  Since this first Arab-Israeli War, two major wars in 1967 and in 1973 and two additional but more localized wars in July 2006, known as the Lebanon War between Israel and Hetzbollah, and the 2008-2009 Gaza War between Israel and Hamas, followed.  In this manner, the enmity of the Muslim World has become a fight of religious duty and existential honor to the death between these two entities, the cause of perpetual instability for the rest of the world, in the senseless, never-ending extermination orgy of two Semitic peoples.

Presently, during Hamas’ barbaric invasion of Israel, the world must not just look at the surface for a solution, but think hard about the enduring conflict’s historical depths, in which the peaceful civilizational aspirations of Israel dovetail with the Muslims’ search for a modern identity in a rapidly evolving world.  The repeated misdiagnoses of what has gone wrong, coupled with unmeetable demands on both parties by self-righteous and self-serving outsiders, have only resulted in preventing most of the opportunities for reasonable political, economic and cultural changes.  Yet, the good news is that the manifest barbarism of Hamas will definitely bring about its and all like-minded terrorist organizations’ demise.

For diplomacy to be successful, measures must be effective and reactions must have consequences.  Therefore, the United Nations, the European Union, the Arab League,  and other lesser international groupings are inadequate instruments of solving such an enduring as well as extremely complex mess.  Doe-eyed illusions by Antonio Guterres, hypocritical perplexity by Josep Borrell, biased statements by Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and idiotic suggestions by numerous other incompetent kibitzers only would enhance the chance for disillusionment to set in again.  

Clearly, the task is to establish lasting peace in the Middle East and beyond.  To achieve this state of affairs the following steps must be taken.  

First, the United States of America must seize the initiative to decidedly exclude all phony states who masquerade as friends of Israel or the Arabs or both from interfering with the already ongoing geopolitical progress in the region.  

Second, trust in the irreversibility of democracy in Israel must be unequivocally reinforced.  

Third, the alarming trend across the Muslim World of militarization of domestic politics must be prevented and if possible reversed.  

Fourth, reform of governance for the better by promoting trust in the durability of key institutions, fighting corruption and fostering growth must be strengthened throughout the region.  

Fifth, disorder, lawlessness and unpredictable anarchy must be curbed by promoting a strong as well as clear sense of justice reinforced by a deep commitment of faith based humanity, unassailable powers of impartiality, the wisdom of the judiciary and a great deal of creative energy.  

Sixth, calling for political self-discipline across the region by all participant states and organizations.  

Seventh, committing all the governments internally and externally to mutually limit the sovereign powers of each state, in order to forgo any short-term gains as a result of violating the agreed upon rules of conduct.  

Eighth, to establish a suitable new balance of power that will serve as a defense against attempts by hostile powers to take undue advantage of the unfolding reform processes with the intent to create anarchy and chaos.  

Ninth, unwavering commitment to fight terrorism and minimize the risk of using violence to settle domestic as well as foreign disputes.  

Tenth, prohibition of weakening any state in the region by threatening to destroy the status quo.  

Eleventh, fomenting internal unrest and foreign wars must be renounced because they will only lead to disasters for those who have initiated them.  

Twelfth, equilibrium once achieved must be protected jointly.

Finally, to be successful in this enormous endeavor, the United States of America must remain the evenhanded master of positive force and not a wobbly manipulator of ephemeral desires or short-lived parochial interests.  In the mortally wounded Middle East, in which mankind increasingly fed up with the terrorism of a tiny minority and the dirty tricks of Iran, Russia and China combined, a principled American foreign policy shall not become the victim of the Sisyphian labor of failed diplomacy.