Daily Alert Archives

Israel Seeks Real, Lasting Peace

(Miami Herald) Frida Ghitis - The very fact that Israelis have to spend their nights worrying about what comes tomorrow in a country with which they signed a peace treaty more than 30 years ago shows the danger of relying on unelected dictators in the quest for peace. Israelis had complained about the "cold peace'' they had with Egypt, worried about the poisonous anti-Israel sentiment that President Hosni Mubarak did little to stop in his country. The standard reply was that "cold peace" is better than "hot war." No question about that. But the anti-Israel conspiracy theories that wafted in the winding alleys of Arab bazaars came with the encouragement of dictators throughout the Middle East, who needed, as every dictator knows, an external enemy to keep them in power. The dark sentiment raised the danger that any relationship Israel developed with an Arab country could collapse the day the hated dictator fell. And everyone knew that sooner or later the people would say "Enough!" to the despots ruling over them. Israel needs to build a new relationship on more solid ground; not peace with one man or one regime, but real, lasting, peace with an Arab country and with its people.
2011-02-11 00:00:00
Full Article