Moderator: Dr. Sarah Feuer
Dr. Dalia Fadila | Dr. Elham Manea | Ms. Orit Perlov | Prof. Uriya Shavit | Dr. Abdullah Swalha
Elham Manea:
The main source of conflict in the Middle East is the clash of identities, where states don’t treat all their citizens as equals under the law. When [Israel and the Arab states] cultivate relations behind the scenes, then Israel is like a mistress. There must be interest in normalization on the level of civil society. There is a certain opening to normalization among Arab diaspora communities. However, openness is constricted by the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This conflict must be resolved in order for there to be greater openness among communities. Even if communities engage, the conflict will limit them. It is important to address competing narratives, and bolster educational efforts.
Dalia Fadila:
The main source of conflict in the Middle East stems from the loss of traditional patterns of behavior – leadership, loyalties, obedience. The lack of adequate leadership makes it difficult to look toward a liberal future. The Israeli Palestinian society is a microcosm for the Middle East. Sectors blame the state for their troubles. Bridging gaps between Arabs and Jews in Israel will have ramifications in the region. It is important to invest in the minority, and instill a sense of loyalty from within. Then Arabs in Israel can serve as a natural bridge to Arab countries. Arabs in Israel must be taken more seriously. Thus it is important to work on Palestinian issues. There is an interest to open borders, and cultivate educational and economic efforts. There must be an effort to do away with the dual, ambivalent message about the Arab sector in Israel.
Abdullah Swalha:
The various conflicts in the Middle East occurring all at once create the main problems in the Middle East. Whereas the Israeli-Arab conflict once dominated the Middle East agenda, this is less so in the current era. The gaps between Israel and the Arabs are narrowing. It is tempting to work from the bottom up toward normalization, but Jordan is a top-down society. So efforts must start at the top. Above all, the Jordanian economy must be strengthened, and Israel must play a role here. The strategic relations between Israel and Jordan should be emphasized.
Orit Perlov:
The main source of conflict in the Middle East is the lack of trust between society and its leaders in the political echelon. There is a new hashtag, “Zionist Arabs,” testifying to a new openness among Arab society to Israel. The openness come from the top: for example, there is a new discourse with Saudi Arabians (at the initiative of MBS); likewise, Muqtada al-Sadr’s call to Iraqi Jews to come back to Iraq has spawned a major openness among Iraqis to Israelis. It is important to seek out Arab countries that are reaching out to us. At the same time, much as Arabs are focused inwardly, looking at their domestic societies, Israel should look inward and address and try to heal the rifts in Israeli society. Finally, it is crucial to keep social media open and free.
Uriya Shavit:
All the fault lines in the Arab world are real fault lines and serious issues. The fault lines are united by a rejection of Israel. Normalization is an important objective, but perhaps there is too much attention on this. Arabs are intimidated by normalization. Do Israelis really want normalization? We do not see Israelis flocking to study Arabic, for example. These relations must be built slowly, bottom-up. You do not need a lot of people to change the world – you need people with passion. It is not impossible to create a solution.