Loading ...Gambling with World War III? Not Zelensky
By: Ghassan Rubeiz / Arab America Contributing Writer
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, came to the White House last Friday to beg President Trump to stop making concessions to Russia. Trump, unbidden, has been negotiating with Putin on Ukraine’s behalf. The US president went as far as to stun his Ukrainian guest with a warning: by not following a US plan to settle the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow, Zelensky was “gambling with World War III”. Trump, holding Zelensky responsible for refusing his “peace plan”, while absolving Putin for invading Ukraine? Something doesn’t add up.
Trump’s lack of diplomatic discipline and sensitivity to justice go way beyond Ukraine. He is applying the same peculiar logic to the Palestinians, effectively blaming them for resisting Israel’s occupation. By proposing a plan to remove them from Gaza, Trump has effectively given Israel a green light for ethnic cleansing. The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire ended on Saturday, with the two sides failing to agree on the terms for a second phase: how to return the remaining hostages and end the war.
Ignoring international law, Tel Aviv has already blocked humanitarian aid to Gaza, to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages without any assurance of an Israeli withdrawal. Notice, this extreme punitive measure is taking place at the start of the holy month of Ramadan. Hamas and Netanyahu are both staring over the edge of a cliff.
On March 4, the Arab League proposed an alternate plan for rebuilding Gaza without demographic dislocation. But rebuilding requires permanent peace, and peace is not a priority for Israel as long as Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah have not been defeated. Netanyahu sees instead a historic opportunity to launch a war on Iran to destroy its nuclear sites. To rationalize a premeditated attack, Israel is pointing to its recent efforts in weakening Iran and its allies.
Wars do not necessarily lead to regime change, better regional relations, or improved state-building. Instead of resorting to war, Israel should aim to join, if not encourage, US efforts to negotiate a sound and lasting agreement with Iran for a nuclear-free Middle East and a better horizon for Palestinians.
Even if Israel could somehow subdue the Arab world and Iran indefinitely, it would still fail to make its citizens free, secure and united. Israeli society has already become authoritarian and reactionary. The country has become fertile ground for militias of its own, allowing settler vigilantes to take control of occupied areas in the Palestinian territories. Tolerating thuggish militias undermines the authority of the Israeli state. Moreover, in mobilizing against Islamist politics since its creation, Israel has cultivated its own brand of religious fundamentalism. I
In fact, Israel’s sectarian approach to solving political problems has reinforced sectarian politics in the US. The growing cooperation between Trump and Netanyahu is undermining democracy in both countries. Likewise, in both countries, we are witnessing the rapid erosion of guardrails that should separate the religious sanctuary from the public square.
Netanyahu may be tightening his grip on power through the pursuit of an open-ended war on Palestinian resistance. But the further he goes, the more he erodes the security of his country and the stability of the region.
Whereas Zelensky is risking his political career to save his country, Netanyahu is undermining the chances of coexistence in the region to serve his personal interests.
Ghassan Rubeiz is the former Middle East Secretary of the World Council of Churches. Earlier, he taught psychology and social work in his country of birth, Lebanon, and later in the United States, where he currently lives. For the past twenty years, he has contributed to political commentary and delivered occasional public talks on peace, justice, and interfaith subjects. You can reach him at rubeizg@gmail.com
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Arab America. The reproduction of this article is permissible with proper credit to Arab America and the author.
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