Israel’s window of opportunity

The Middle East is changing rapidly, creating many dangers but at the same time opportunities as well. We are facing “a new Middle East” in which three nation states have already disintegrated — Syria, Iraq and Libya — while an Islamic state has emerged in the form of the Islamic State terrorist group.

Yesterday’s solutions have failed

The Arab population of the region is no longer divided along national lines, but rather according to their communal affiliation, religious identity or tribal allegiance — Sunni, Shiite, Alawi, etc. Only when it comes to the Palestinian conflict does the world return to the solutions of yesterday that have failed the test of reality over and over again.

The state of Israel is at a critical juncture, facing a window of opportunity. For more than two decades, Israel has conducted a peace process with the Palestinians, a process that was meant to bring peace but in fact only increased terrorism and violence.

The current chaos in the Middle East and the dissolution of the peace process have brought about an opportunity for a change, and a reconsideration of the situation. Israel must lead and initiate new diplomatic moves that are well thought out and responsible, and must not be led astray by the plans of others. It must do this while preserving its vital interests and values through unified and determined action.

Today, the Israeli public is faced with two plans for possible solutions to this problem. The first option is two states for two peoples in the framework of negotiations, or a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from most of the territory. The second option is a binational state. Both alternatives are not useful because they present a reality of black and white, and both will be a disaster for the future of Israel.

We need to find another alternative that is in between these two extremes, an alternative that will on the one hand maintain Israel security and on the other enable larger Arab internal control.

Yoav Kisch is chairman of Knesset’s House Committee and a member of the Likud Party.