Can We Have Peace In The Middle East…

Peace! Peace! Near and far, said the Lord, and I shall heal them – Isaiah 57:19.

A Jewish proverb says, “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver” – it means, wisdom and understanding are far more valuable than money or material riches as external wealth is temporary.

Now let’s see whether we can have peace in the Middle East.

The region is sadly characterised by western media as a region eternally riven with conflicts but they forgot that the region has a rich history of multi-ethnic coexistence.

Western imperialism was a major factor in the downfall of the Ottoman Empire and they asserted territorial claims through the colonial mandate system, drawing ‘arbitrary lines in the sand’ (1916 Sykes–Picot agreement, ignoring local ethnic and religious groups) to serve their economic and strategic interests. These original sins and the discovery of oil are the main causes of the many conflicts.

Zionists argued they have a unique right to establish a state in Palestine on millennia of continuous historical and religious connection and a history of persecution. But the persecution was born in Europe and zionism was created only in 1897.

Fast forward and for the records, the US lobbied Gulf states to join the war but Saudi Arabia and several other states were against attacking Iran. Three months later, Iran has not collapsed. The war was an Israeli plot and it managed to manipulate US to join and turned the US army into a proxy force. 

More than twenty years ago, Tun Mahathir said the Jewish people, because of their relationship with the US, had an influence in the world that far outweighed their numbers. He added: “The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule this world by proxy”.

After three big losses: no effective regime change but regime enhancement, no surrender of Iran’s missiles and drones and the Strait of Hormuz under de facto Iranian control, the US is now desperate to find a way out. The off-ramp is elusive especially with the moral sense of the president and there’s a brick wall!

Saudi Arabia supported mediation efforts with Pakistan which has been opposed by the UAE.

The UAE is friendly with Israel and has lobbied for the continued attack on Iran and tried to prevent peace talks. It’s exit from Opec appeases the US and sounding a death knell to the 65-year-old energy alliance.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has also floated a non-aggression pact between Iran and Middle Eastern states and have gained the support of European capitals and EU institutions.

With the “Greater Israel” dream, Israel would likely oppose any agreement that seeks to reduce tensions and the US, a staunch, long-term ally would certainly oppose the move.

Empty threats and extreme rhetoric such as erasing the Iranian civilisation is still being manufactured. They are then quietly withdrawn and it proves that the superpower is on a downward slide. In an attempt to preserve a declining global position, during his recent visit to China, Trump included a request for China’s help to de‑escalate the conflict with Iran.

On the other hand, Iran had to swallow bitter pills when the US acted deceptively and in bad faith: unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement, attacks during negotiations in June 2025 and the latest attack during talks. Additionally, the double standards in international dealings with Iran and the various damning sanctions.

Given the above, can the US keep its part of a new bargain?

Do the Gulf states want to continue investing heavily in US security guarantees after confronting the reality that Israeli security interests take precedence? They are now facing economic disruptions while the US will be selling more weaponry.

The US agenda is a self-centred approach in securing access to energy and rare earth resources, dominating key shipping and trade routes while reducing commitments to Europe and granting Israel greater control in the Middle East to reduce its costs.

Apart from the damaged global image, the resilience and nature of American democratic institutions are questionable as it is always happy to ignore the undemocratic practices of its allies in the region.

This “democracy hypocrisy” is evident as partisan polarisation led both major political parties to selectively abandon democratic norms when it advantage their own side.

Thousands of innocent lives have been lost and Israel, with US help, wants to be the only main actor in the region.

For a war that heavily relies on “gut instinct”, it is difficult to be rational, especially with a long history of failed wars. This is the price the region is paying for – a man’s ego and another with so-called messianic vision.

Strangely, for the “chosen ones”, many founders of Zionism were secular. Then, “weaponising” and instrumentalising the Holocaust as a primary justification for the foundation and security policies of Israel and to justify the perpetual harmful behavior with impunity toward others do not reflect the qualities of “chosen ones”.

Is it time now for the UAE and other countries in the region, for their interests, to work together?

Many Americans want their country liberated from the chokehold of a genocidal Zionist regime, whom they finance at high cost. The genocide in Gaza, land grabs in West Bank and war crimes in Lebanon has not stopped and passing legislation to legalise the murder of even more Palestinians is deplorable and totally unacceptable.

How many times “peace” has been mentioned and written on paper by the US for the region? Despite pursuing ceasefire/peace in the region, the US recently bypassed congressional review for arm sales of US$8.6 billion to its Middle East allies. A well‑armed military does not help to maintain peace – it translates into high defense spending, fuel regional arms race and may invite conflicts.

The US 250th independence anniversary is around the corner. Will the celebration focus just on the liberation from the British Empire and what about from the genocidal Zionists?

For peace to prevail, there must be a change in attitude and accept each other’s beliefs, values and faith. As long as the ‘Greater Israel’ plan is in the way, peace is unlikely to happen and with the arms sale, a bigger war may be brewing.

As for antisemitism, aren’t the Palestinians Semitic too?

To have peace, I would strongly urge:

1. the United Nations (UN) to quickly push and finalise the General Assembly, Resolution 79/122 of 22 November 2024 (the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity). The world cannot remain silent and be complicit.
2. Countries in the region to quickly act on the “non-aggression pact” proposed by Saudi Arabia to stabilise the region and reduce reliance on outside powers. This is key to ensuring development and prosperity through unity and integration rather than destruction as the region has the potential to be the world’s next economic power. A divided Gulf will never see peace.
3. If there is a call to open the Straits of Hormuz, there must also be a call to stop the Greater Israel plan and work on the two-state solution.
4. There must be comprehensive peace that goes beyond simple ceasefires. For that, all countries in the region must participate in the negotiation process. It may take a little longer but that will be worth the while.
5. The option is open for Israel and UAE to choose integration and become a true partner in a just, comprehensive and final peace – this is the real returning to “normalisation” since the region has heritage and history of co-existence.
6. Work on a universally agreed-upon international treaty to define and combat terrorism.
7. The UN to take over the mediating process since its main function is to maintain international peace and security.

Let’s invoke the “Never Again” slogan (associated with the Holocaust and genocide). It became a driving moral force for establishing international human rights laws and looks increasingly hollow now lest we risk being on the precipice of World War III.

Let’s see whether the Zionists, who live in a country without permanently recognised sovereign borders, will obey Isaiah 57:19 and observe the proverb.

My final valediction is observance of “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) and “And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace” (Surah Al-Furqan Ayat 63).

What say you…

 

Saleh Mohammed