Talking Point: Israel is the wrong enemy

AAMULEHTI : “Arabs have wasted decades in hatred against Israel. The newest clash between the Islamist Hamas, which rules in Gaza, and Israel is a continuation in a long series of stupidities, of which the most miserable victims are the arabs.”

What have the Arab states won, by not recognizing the state of Israel in 1948, but took it as an arch enemy, wanting to destroy it from the face of the earth?

The Arab Spring, inspired by the free winds will bring self-critical and difficult questions, which has already been shown in the Arab press and elsewhere.

The Arab states have wasted hundreds of billions in the war against Israel.

What if they would have recognized the existence of Israel and used the saved money meant for war, in  education of the population, health-care and construction of infrastructure?

Writer for the Arab News,  Abdullateef Mulhim,  dares to doubt that Israel might be  the real enemy of the Arab world and the Arab people.

The Arabs’ own rulers, according to the author, have caused the Arab nations more atrocities, destruction and suffering than the Israeli army. As examples, he cites Syria, Iraq, Tunisia, Yemen and Lebanon.

The real enemies of the Arab nations are corruption, lack of education, poor healthcare, as well as the level of freedom and lack of respect for human life, the author concludes.

Thus, the Arab world is in turmoil, despite its riches. Instead, Israel is a thriving democracy, and the most advanced scientific institutions, university excellence and infrastructure.

The living conditions of Palestinians in Israel, are usually better than their Arab brothers in the Arab world: they live longer, they have a much greater political and social freedoms.

This type of information has barely trickled the Arab nations thus far. Instead of information their minds are rooted in generations of deep hatred towards the enemy: Israel must be destroyed.

The Palestinians are hostages after decades of hatred sown .”Homeless”, they are useful against Israel, which continues in the propaganda war even when the guns do not speak.

Holding anger is a tremendous waste of human and material resources. News photographs of Gaza rubble from bombed out houses  tell of that lousy message.

All of it wraps around Israel’s right to exist. Arabs should recognize Israel, renounce terrorism and commit to a peaceful co-existence. Is it impossible for a turnaround?

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