Cory Morgan: Why We Must Work Toward Lasting Peace in the Middle East

Commentary

The Middle East is a complicated region that is long on problems and short on solutions. Having just returned from Israel, I feel better informed, yet don’t see a clear path to long-term peace in the region. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be working toward a path to peace, though, both here and over there.

As I posted observations from my trip on social media, I often got responses from people along the lines of, “Who cares? That’s their problem. We don’t need to pay attention to things way over there.” Those are all fair responses, but I’ll make the case that unrest in that region impacts the whole world, and it’s important to ensure peace and calm for all involved.

The Middle East is the nucleus of the three main Western religions. The evolution of our modern attitudes and social mores all began there. What happens in the Middle East today reflects what will happen in Canada tomorrow. I’m not implying we will have such violence as we have seen in Gaza and Israel, but the ripples of that conflict are already spilling over into North America. The principles of pluralism, which make up the foundation of our democracy, are at risk as we see protests and violence on our streets while intolerance between religions grows.

Increased law enforcement, along with more stringent immigration regulations, could ease the problems a little. But the underlying issues would remain, and many of the people at the heart of the local conflicts are Canadian citizens. They aren’t going away. The disputes here will only be resolved when the conflicts over there begin to ease.

The actions of our own government can help ease problems in the Middle East. Canada was once a diplomatic power that carried respect around the world. It’s not a nation that carries significant military clout or economic power when compared to others, but it can punch above its weight diplomatically when it has nuanced, careful leadership. Unfortunately, so far, Canada is clumsily wading into the issue with moves such as recognizing an independent Palestinian state when Palestine is hopelessly fractured and unable to effectively govern itself. A two-state solution may indeed be a path to peace, but Canada isn’t bringing that any closer into being when it tries to shoehorn an independent state into a conflict that just managed to achieve a fragile ceasefire.

Canada’s Middle East policy will have direct economic impacts domestically. The Canadian government has been struggling to cobble together some sort of trade deal with the United States, and its stance toward Palestine and Israel is pushing the nations apart further. Our foreign policies can lead to wider local consequences than we realize.

There is an underlying proxy war happening in North America related to the Middle Eastern conflict. The hammer and sickle symbol is increasingly seen among pro-Palestinian protesters and social media accounts. Many students and academics in local universities are using the conflict to advance a Marxist philosophy, which has nothing to do with the situation on the ground in the Middle East. It could build a base of support for politicians holding extreme views on either side of the political spectrum, which would have a direct impact on our local governance.

The world has an opportunity to make inroads toward peace right now. One thing I saw clearly in Israel was how deeply important the recovery of the hostages, both living and dead, was to them. The Israelis I spoke with were all tired of war and will be happy to stand down now that their people have been returned. They don’t want to send their sons and daughters into Gaza for a never-ending war. Gazans are surely ready to see the end of the bombardment and to work to rebuild their lives.

Members of Hamas and some extreme elements in Israel may want the war to continue, but the people on the ground in general don’t. It will take some form of third-party intermediary to find agreement and enforce peace agreements. This is the kind of role Canada can be part of, and people in the Middle East are as receptive as they have been for years to taking part in peace talks.

The conflict impacts us directly at home, socially and economically. Bullets have been fired into Canadian synagogues, and protests could escalate to riots if they continue. We can’t afford to pretend it doesn’t matter.

Most of all, it’s important that peace is found for the sake of being good human beings. The suffering on both sides of the war has been horrific. As global citizens and empathetic people, we should all want to see this come to an end. If we can contribute somehow to bringing the war to a close, we will have been on the right side of history and humanity.

I am under no illusion that a permanent solution will be found any time soon. Considering what I experienced, it likely won’t happen in my lifetime. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be working to turn the tide on the conflict, even if it will be a slow process.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.