Normalization Is a Noose Around Israel’s Neck
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, London, September 29
Normalizing relations with the Zionist enemy is not just wrong—it undermines the strength of a nation and facilitates the infiltration of Zionist poison into the Arab collective consciousness. In the short and long term, this represents something like a “time bomb” built into any potential alliance with an aggressor. Rejecting the Zionist colonial project in Palestine has been openly embraced by the official Arab League. The future of the Arab region appears to be increasingly bleak given the ongoing internal strife and the increasingly stark contrast between rich and poor. Revolutionaries have had their dreams stolen and confiscated. But there is also a silver lining: we are finally beginning to recognize the truth and lift the masks and guises off those actors who pretended to be on our side. Despite their best efforts, these people’s grotesqueness is being uncovered. For years, Arab leaders have claimed that “Palestine is the first Arab cause.” This sentiment has been reflected in the plethora of speeches, books, poems, commentaries, and songs that have been produced in its support. Billions of dollars have gone into arming armies and emergency laws have been enacted in the name of “confronting the Zionist threat.” Despite these efforts, these words have become empty mantras with no tangible results. Democracy, social justice, and other rights have all been cast aside in favor of focusing on “confronting the enemy’s plans,” and this has had a detrimental effect on the Arab nation with nothing to show for it in the end. Israel is growing ever stronger while Palestine is stagnating and declining and becoming emblematic of wider Arab suffering. Not only have the Palestinians suffered, but the Arab world at large has experienced numerous iterations of the same tragedy. Zionism has not only taken control of the land but also of the way of thinking and behavior of the people living in the region. The recent lifting of masks has been a welcome sight for all. What was previously considered a hostile enemy is no longer classified as such, with so-called “resistance groups” now firmly labeled as terrorist organizations. People who had supported Israeli strength without revealing their true intentions have finally revealed what they had been intending all along. This moment in the Arab nation’s history is incredibly significant, showing that the deception of previous generations has been seen for what it truly was. This could indeed be seen as the start of a new journey for the Arab world: one based on truth rather than lies. The issue facing Israel is more important than those of the past. Its very existence is driven by the constant perception of threats, which forms a unifying force among the Zionist community in Palestine. If Israel began to feel secure, the rifts and divisions within this settler population would become more evident. Peace may even be more dangerous to Israel than war, as the nation is founded on the notion and principles of aggression. Normalization could become a noose around its neck. —Helmi Al-Asmar (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)
