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A Brave New Dawn in Arab-Israeli Relations

(Arab News-Saudi Arabia) Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor - Some of my fellow Arabs, who have no solution as to how to better the lives of Palestinians, instead prefer to hang on to the same old rhetoric and unrealistic scenarios that belong in the mid-20th century. I have been a supporter of the Palestinians all my life, but I'm a realist. I cannot remain stuck in some fantasyland and neither do I wait indefinitely for miracles. Like it or not, Israel exists as an economic powerhouse under the unwavering protective umbrella of the U.S. To imagine that boycotting Israeli goods will force the collapse of the state is infantile. The Palestinians, who still insist on the right of return for refugees who are in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and elsewhere, know full well that is never going to happen. There are 2 million Palestinians who have Israeli nationality. Most take pride in their Arab heritage, yet are content to call themselves Arab Israelis. It is beyond time for the Palestinians to quit blaming everyone else for the situation they find themselves in today. I would urge all Arab leaderships to bury old hatreds that have consumed their foreign policies for 72 years without bearing fruit. Join us in forging a peaceful Middle East, with new and exciting opportunities for all. The writer is a prominent UAE businessman and public figure.
2020-10-05 00:00:00
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