✍️ Abdullah Al-Omairah

At a time when humanity is suffering from the rise of violence and extremism, Israel could have become a model of peace and coexistence. Yet it chose — or was forced to choose — a military mindset as the sole framework for governing the state and its society.

Since its founding to this day, Israel has never been ruled by a purely civilian government. Instead, leadership has consistently fallen to figures with military or security backgrounds — minds shaped in conflict zones, not in forums of dialogue.

A Deferred Peace… or a Dismissed Option?

Is it reasonable that an entire nation has failed to produce a civilian leader who genuinely calls for peace — not just as an electoral slogan?

Is peace even a real option in the ruling Israeli doctrine, or is it just a tactical card used when necessary — then withdrawn under the pretext of “existential threat”?

Anyone observing Israeli policy in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria — or even within Palestinian territories — will see a deliberate expansion of danger rather than its reduction. It’s as if the state constantly needs an enemy to justify its actions, suppress dissent, and secure external support.

As the saying goes: “If devils cannot find someone to fight… they fight themselves.”

When the Mind Becomes Security-Oriented

Politics in Israel is driven by a security mindset — not a political one. And that makes all the difference.

A politician sees resolution as a path forward, while a military leader views it as a tactical truce. A statesman believes in the power of ideas; the general trusts only in armed force.

Which brings us back to the root of the problem: To this day, Israel has never been governed by a civilian intellect capable of reading the region — its culture, history, and wounds. Thus, peace initiatives are often born incomplete, booby-trapped, or postponed indefinitely.

A Story from the Media Memory: When We Tried to Build Peace Through News

In 2013, Beth Press was in its early stages. Yet we decided to send correspondents to Israel.

But not for the usual aim of "covering the conflict" — rather, a new direction: “Seeking construction amid the rubble.”

Three reporters failed to shake off their obsession with war. Only one — a young Palestinian woman with true professionalism — gave us hope.

Her very first story? A rabbi in Israel donating his brain-dead son’s kidney to save a Palestinian child suffering from kidney failure.

The report was human, sincere, and free from slogans or drama — and it resonated widely.

But the painful truth that soon became clear was this: Those in power in Israel do not want peace to succeed.

Israel & Iran… A Partnership in Chaos?

It may seem odd to speak of an “unspoken understanding” between Israel and Iran, despite their loudly declared enmity.

Yet reality is more complex:

Both sides need a “perpetual enemy” to justify militarization and internal repression.

And whenever calm seems possible, flames are ignited in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.

It’s a game of negative balance: No full-scale war, but no comprehensive peace either.

Two Peoples, Held Hostage by “Gangs”

The Israeli and Palestinian peoples — especially the youth — are the most aware of the importance of coexistence. They are the only ones truly capable of breaking the cycle of blood.

Yet tragically, both are hostages to a conflict managed by “political and ideological gangs” who seek no future — only profit from the destruction of the present.

What If?

What if a true civilian Israeli government emerged, bringing fresh thinking and declaring that peace is not a “concession,” but a “salvation”?

What if Tel Aviv, Damascus, and Beirut agreed on a joint security plan to end threats rather than exploit them?

What if the voices of Israeli and Palestinian youth rose above the voices of generals and clerics?

Perhaps history would change… or perhaps not.

Conclusion:

Peace is not a fantasy — it’s a victim held hostage by extremists.
And if the world truly wants to see Israel illuminate rather than ignite, it must support the civilian over the military… the builder over the destroyer.