It has often been said that peace won’t become a reality in the Middle East until, or unless, the Arab countries and the Palestinians-particulary, the Palestinian terrorist organizations-recognize Israel’s “right to exist.” However, I submit that the fundamental problem goes much deeper than this. The “real” problem is that Israel’s enemies don’t recognize Israel’s existence, period. The question then becomes, how can Israel’s Arab neighbors – with the exception of Egypt and Jordan – and the Palestinians cast doubt on the Jewish state’s “right to exist” if they don’t acknowledge Israel’s existence in the first place?

If, indeed, true peace is ever to become a reality in the Middle East, before any agreements are negotiated, I suggest that the first order of business undertaken by all of Israel’s enemies is for them to acknowledge and declare openly and unequivocally to the entire world that, the Jewish State does, in fact exist, if only, by virtue of the indisputable U.N. resolution of 1947 partitioning Palestine into two disparate states – one of which is now Israel and one which would have become a Palestinian state. (Unfortunately, due to their intransigence and animus, the Palestinians and their Arab brethren chose war instead, which has resulted in almost 65 years of hostility and bloodshed in that region of the world, with the Palestinians still aspiring to fulfill their dream of statehood)

Suffice it to say that, if such an admittance is not forthcoming, it would be akin to Israel’s adversaries, rather than talking to their potential peace partner-Israel-in essence, be tantamount to their talking to themselves alone.

Gene Carton

Olivette