Israel: Dare to embrace the Middle East

"Israel's recent hopes for peace, fueled by the disengagement from Gaza and elections won on plans to cede the West Bank, have given way to another war and to grim talk of eternal fighting. Israelis now speak of the Arabs' hate as a chronic disease that Israel is destined to live - or die - with. To revive its hopes, Israel must dare to consider a change of paradigm: transform itself into a Middle Eastern country.

While Israel has flourished economically and technologically by modeling itself on the Western European culture of its early Ashkenazi pioneers, the cultural alienation from its neighbors has intensified Israel's pariah status in the region. Even the peace with Egypt and Jordan remains cold, while hate toward Israel in the Arab street heats up to new records."

This isn't written by some Arab representative. The writer is Avi Azrieli - a veteran Israel Defense Force officer and the author of "One Step Ahead: A Mother of Seven Escaping Hitler's Claws" - as published in the IHT.

Yes, it's daring in what it puts forward, but the present situation aids no one in the region. And the future doesn't seem too bright either. Read the full piece here.

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