The return of violence and bloodshed to the Middle East following resumption of fighting between Israel and Hamas does not augur well for peace not just in the region but beyond as well. All of us are aware of the fact that Islamic fundamentalists often cite the conflict with the Israelis as reason to justify terrorism around the world. The other worry is that the Middle East is not what it was five to ten years ago. The Arab Spring which led to the fall of western backed regimes across the region has meant that the new rulers do not think and act like they used to—serving American interests. One of the most influential and largest States in the region is Egypt and today it is ruled by Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Interestingly the hard line Hamas, which rules Gaza, was formed as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Then the other worry is the obvious situation in Syria and Iran—both countries in direct confrontation with Western powers. And therefore what we have here is a recipe for wider conflict to envelop the entire Middle East region which things are not handled well especially by the Israelis, the US and western allies. A scenario where Iran, Syria, Hamas with covert backing of Cairo jointly wages a war with Israel cannot be overlooked. This will probably force the US and its Allies like Turkey to be also drawn into the conflict. So at most the current conflict between Israel and the Hamas must be kept local and limited. Washington should ensure the quick resolution of the latest conflict and it must do so in cooperation with others especially the Egyptians. It is also a test for the new leadership in Egypt. Faced as we all are with the economic downturn and other challenges, the world can hardly afford another major war.
At a deeper level, the ongoing conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians and the failure to resolve it despite attempts made all these years stems from the failure of political leadership. Also at present politically it is not a conducive moment to even begin to talk. On the one hand we have the rightwing Likud Party headed by hardliner Benjamin Nethanayu who has been at the helms for quite some time in Israel. On the other side we have an equally hard line Hamas leadership, which in fact does not even recognize the existence of ‘Jewish Israel’. So while the problems between Israel and Palestine centers around goals and aspirations on both sides, which needs to be addressed through peaceful means of dialogue, the current politics of rightwing elements on both sides is not making this possible. Frankly if the present parties continue to remain in power, chances of serious discussion taking place and peace returning to the Middle East remains a chimera. Closer home, perhaps Nagas can also take some lessons from what is taking place. One is the failure of political leadership to invest in peace and demonstrating the will to resolve conflicts. We see the hard line position of both the current leadership as detrimental to peace. Second is how everyone must put efforts to protect the interest of peace. There was relative peace and calm until a few days ago and it took hard work to build peace in the tumultuous region. However, one act of violence has led to angry reprisal and as a result it is reopening old hurts. Nagas must protect the hard earned peace that we have collectively worked on. Let us not return to the path of bloodshed, anger, vengeance, bitterness and mistrust that for so long has kept us in the shadow of death and misery. Today there is hope and we need to continue moving forward and building on it.
