A Book "Review": 'The 'New Middle East' by Shimon Peres (Part Two)

Article Title: A Book "Review": 'The 'New Middle East' by Shimon Peres (Part Two)
Submitted by: Craig Lock
Key Words: Shimon Peres, Middle East, Israel, books, leadership, politics, world, peace, possibilities for peace
Web sites: http://middleeastpeacewriter.wordpress.com/ and www.craigsbooks.wordpress.com
The submitter's blog (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) is at http://en.search.wordpress.com/?q=craig+lock and http://craiglock.wordpress.com

Other Articles are available at:
http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/profile.cfm?writerid=981
(Personal growth, self help, writing, internet marketing, spiritual, 'spiritual writings' (how 'airey-fairey'), words of inspiration and money management, how boring now, craig

Publishing Guidelines:
This article may be freely published with acknowledgment to Element Books Ltd. Thank you. All my other articles may be freely published electronically or in print.

"We share what we know, so that we all may grow."
*

THE NEW MIDDLE EAST by Shimon Peres with Arye Naor
Published in Great Britain by Element Books Ltd 1993

Submitter's Note:
I am currently reading and researching a fascinating book, 'THE NEW MIDDLE EAST' by former Israeli Prime Minister and current President, Shimon Peres (with Arye
Naor), especially in the light of current world events. So am sharing some thoughts and ideas of Mr Peres directly sourced from this book (the first three chapters). I'm sharing in the "spirit of just trying to plant tiny seeds of ideas of peace in a current 'hot-spot' of the world, a tinderbox." Hopefully!
Whether you agree with the words of Mr Peres written in 1993 or not, I hope you may find these points and notes as revealing and illuminating as I do in attempting to understand this highly complex and volatile region.

"WAR HATH NO VICTORS":

*
A BOOK "REVIEW: 'THE NEW MIDDLE EAST' by Shimon Peres (with Arye Nao) - PART TWO

"We can begin today by taking the first steps across the bridge of mutual co-operation and understanding among Middle East peoples. The journey ahead will
be long, but the way is open. We need brave travellers."
- Shimon Peres, former Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs

THE DAWN OF PEACE

Rethink strategies and form new conceptions. We must all acknowledge the futility of war: the Arabs cannot defeat Israel on the battlefield; Israel cannot dictate the conditions of peace to the Arabs.

It seems that the time for all-out war has passed. It is time to seek a different "solution or termination other than victory... in the strictly military sense".

Although as things stand now, there is little to be gained from war, relations may deteriorate into war without a parallel advance toward peace. Wars don't always break out, because the tacticians believe they can win. Sometimes they occur, because the status quo becomes intolerable to one side - or at least less tolerable than its disruption with physical force.

The Gaza strip has an area of 365 square kilometers (140 square miles) and it hits world records in population density. The territories are not the problem with which we must deal; but our future relationship with the inhabitants is.

We want to establish a true neighbourly relationship with our neighbours.

*

THE REGIONAL SYSTEM

Reconciliation and Arab acceptance of Israel as a nation with equal rights rights and responsibilities will sire a new sort of co-operation - not only between Israel and its neighbours, but also among Arab nations. The problems of this region of the world cannot be solved by individual nations, or even on a bilateral or multi-lateral plane. Regional organisation is the key to peace and security, and will promote democratization, economic development, national growth and individual prosperity. Establishing peace and security requires a conceptual revolution, a "revolution in thinking". "What is needed is a "Conceptual Revolution", a re-evaluation of thinking. Peace will only come about as a result of compromise.

War does not solve any problems; PEACE IS the solution. By compromising - minimum concessions and maximum justice on both sides - we will live to see the
day when nations are free of the sorrow of war, including our own nation as well."

The words of Shimon Peres* (in 1993!)

* Shimon Peres is the ninth President of the State of Israel. He served twice as Prime Minister of Israel and once as Acting Prime Minister, and has been a
member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years. Peres was elected to the Knesset in November 1959 and, except for a three-month-long
hiatus in early 2006, served continuously until 2007, when he became President. He is also a former winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 * info from
Wikipaedia)

“The tides of war must soon start receding”

Shared by craig "writing for peace"*

* or at least a slightly more peaceful world

'just an ordinary person and writer trying to do something' small ("rather impulsively and passionately") through the power of words and the amazing power
of the 'net'... as all I can do about it, the situation is write ... and share!

Sadly, things have got a lot worse in the Middle East since those "hope filled" days of 1993. The dream was not fulfilled, the vision had not become a
reality... because there was not the moral WILL by all parties!

"Let us not negotiate out of fear, but let us not fear to negotiate."
- John F Kennedy

"There can be no peace without reconciliation and there can be no reconciliation. without justice."
- Corazin Aquino (former Prime Minister of the Phillipines)

"Peacemakers who sow in peace, will heap a harvest of righteousness."
- James 2:18

"The peace of the brave is within reach. We are still reaching."
- Bill Clinton (at the signing of the peace agreement between Israel's Prime Minister, Yatzik Rabin and Yasser Arafat, leader of the PLO on the lawn of the
White House in 1993)

"A just peace includes not only civil and political rights - it must encompass economic security and opportunity. For true peace is not just freedom from fear,
but freedom from want. The vital ingredients to nurture it are: 'Agreements among nations. Strong institutions. Support for human rights. Investments in development.' And something more, the continued expansion of our moral imagination; an insistence that there is something irreducible that we all share."

PS:
"Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own."
- inspirational words from John F Kennedy on the occasion of his inaugeration as President

"Let each one of us build bridges rather than barriers, openness rather than walls. Let us look at distant horizons together in a spirit of acceptance, helpfulness, co-operation and peace. Let our leaders look at the future with a vision - to see things not as they are, but what they could one day become."

"When people's hearts are filled with love, the world is overflowing with hope"
- craig

"Someday, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tide and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love. Then, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire."

- Teilhard De Chardin

"Let us reach for the world that ought to be, that spark of the divine, that still stirs within each one of us."
- the words of Barack Obama in accepting his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway

"Instead of the limits of borders (of countries and of our minds) let us and our leaders expand our sense of possibility... and together let's look at building bridges to distant horizons, far and great. Lord, help us all lift our eyes a little higher."

- craig

This article may be freely published (with acknowledgment to the source, thanks)

Together, one mind, one heart, one life at a time, let's plant the seeds, the hope of a better and brighter future.