A Call for Cease-fire in Gaza as Ramadan Approaches: Insights by Elias Zananiri

In his thought-provoking opinion piece for The Media Line, Elias Zananiri, a seasoned journalist and policy adviser to the PLO, discusses the urgent need for a cease-fire in Gaza, especially with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on the horizon. Zananiri highlights the delicate situation surrounding Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, a critical point of tension between Jews and Muslims that risks escalating into a broader religious conflict. He advocates for careful measures to ensure Muslims’ freedom of worship at this holy site while maintaining order, suggesting that Israeli security forces keep their distance to avoid provocation.

Zananiri also calls for international intervention to broker a cease-fire and ultimately a two-state solution, criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to heed international calls for peace. The piece emphasizes the importance of negotiations over continued conflict, drawing on the wisdom of Sun Tzu, the sixth-century BCE Chinese military strategist and philosopher who famously said, “The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.” With insights into the geopolitical and religious dynamics at play, Zananiri’s article is a must-read for those seeking to understand the complex fabric of the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the path forward.