Path to peace

Greg Sheridan presents a controversial but valid assertion that Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, despite their polarising reputations, have demonstrated a deeper grasp of Middle Eastern dynamics than many traditional foreign policy analysts.

Netanyahu’s “outside in” approach, securing peace with neighbouring nations before addressing the Palestinian issue, defies conventional thinking.

Trump advanced this strategy through the Abraham Accords, establishing peace treaties between Israel and several Arab nations.

Sheridan asserts that Palestinians have rejected several statehood offers due to internal challenges and external pressures, particularly from Iran and militant groups. While this is true, the deeper issue remains: Palestinian leaders reject the legitimacy of Israel’s existence.

Normalisation, rather than immediate sovereignty, may offer the best path towards peace, but real progress towards a Palestinian state can occur only when its leadership accepts Israel’s right to exist securely. In the meantime, Israel will continue to defend itself against Iran’s three proxies determined to destroy it.

John Kempler, Rose Bay, NSW