MembersA New Day is Dawning on Israel’s 70th Birthday

The Israeli people will soon celebrate their 70th year of independence, while the Palestinians will celebrate their 70th year of ‘nakba,’ the national ‘tragedy’ that has become ingrained in the local psyche.

By Bassem Eid |
Photo: Bassem Eid

I remember the Arab League meeting in Sudan in 1968, when Arab leaders announced their three major “No’s” regarding Israel: No recognition, no peace and no normalization. Today, this slogan has become passé. Many Arab nations are no longer secretive about working with Israel, especially in the face of a common enemy in Iran. Recently, pilots from the air force of the United Arab Emirates joined those from the Israel Air Force for a training exercise in Greece, despite a lack of official diplomatic relations.

Also of note is how Israel is working with the Arab states on how to better the lives of Palestinians. When US President Donald Trump recently convened a meeting to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority (PA) boycotted the gathering, but Israel was there, along with representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and others.

As a Palestinian, I believe that Israel wants to help us build our future. Who stands in our way are the Palestinians ourselves. Looking back at 2005, when Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip, Palestinian leaders were enthusiastically...

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