But the conflict is fueled by hatred as much as by explosives. And Egypt’s record here is shaky. Cairo has been a font of anti-Semitic propaganda in recent years, with the broadcast of an odious multi-part drama based on the fraudulent “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” being just the most prominent example.
On that point, Fahmy is again reasonable, pointing out that his government, though slow to act, did disassociate itself from the show and that one of President Hosni Mubarak’s top advisors publicly denounced hatred of Jews. Fahmy is also quick to say that “both sides” are involved in “demonizing” one another.
However, the moral equivalence he posits on this issue, as well as on that of violence, is a false one. The Israeli government is attempting not only to make painful sacrifices for peace, but to educate its children to believe in it. But a decade of Israeli concessions seems to have encouraged more contempt for the Jewish state, not less.
The Palestinians, and much of the Arab world, continue to act as if Israel’s presence will eventually be extinguished either through armed struggle or being swamped by the so-called “right of return.” Fahmy’s reassurances will mean nothing unless the Palestinians change their tune. And the last thing Jews need to do is take his advice and call for Washington to repeat past mistakes and become more directly involved in the negotiations. Fahmy, who sees the actions of former president Jimmy Carter as the ideal version of American diplomacy, says that “U.S. leverage must be used” to bring about a solution.
The Palestinians are hoping they can recreate the Oslo dynamic of ceaseless American pressure on Israel to make concessions. But to do that is to take the first step down the road to another few years of horrible violence. What must happen is for Egypt and the rest of the Arab world to finally start educating its people to accept Israelis, not hate them. And they must tell the Palestinians that they must forget about trying to start up the war again later this year.
The point is, if it were just a matter of peace with men like Nabil Fahmy, the conflict might have ended decades ago. Peace with the cold-blooded killers of Hamas is another thing altogether.