Sixty years is long enough

Tensions between the Arab world and Israel have captured the world’s attention for 63 years. That is two generations going on the third and not much less than the average life span of an American male.

Over these six decades, the tensions have ebbed and flowed, but they have never been put to rest. War and armed conflict erupt at times. The peaceful periods are marked with only sporadic killings.

Now, with the changes resulting from the “Arab Spring,” the role of Egypt is changing. Egypt has been a stabilizing influence for years in the region. It is veering away from that stance. The killing of Egyptian soldiers last week by Israeli troops will intensify tensions between the two countries.

This does not bode well for the region.

The turmoil resulting from the Arab Spring in the Middle East could precipitate even more crisis situations. The existing problems could be intensified simply to draw attention away from internal upheaval in certain countries. On top of that, no one is sure what shape the new leadership in the region will take.

The area remains a tinderbox. The populous uprisings there bode well for Arab citizens but not for improved interaction with Israel,

It is time to put an end to this threat to world peace.

A logical starting point is the creation of a Palestinian state. It was after all the Palestinians who were displaced when Israel was created in 1948.

The second is the creation of a United Nations protectorate, or International City status, for all of Jerusalem. This would open the city to all religions equally, eliminate on-going territorial tensions and allow for impartial administration of the city which is held as sacred ground for three major religions.

World leaders are facing dramatic challenges. From the international economic crisis to global warming and from terrorism to declining natural resources, attention needs to be focused on how to meet the future.

The Arab-Israeli situation has festered long enough and has consumed too much energy and emotion. Sixty years is too long a time to allow religious and ethnic tensions to hold the world captive.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher