Principled Realism and Deferral: From the Gulf War to the Struggle for Palestine

The New Islamist takes strong positions on the pressing issues of war and peace that face
Egypt and the Arab Islamic world. During the Gulf War in 1991, they participated actively in
the debates over the causes and conduct of the war, registering the distinctive voice of the
Islamic Wassatteyya in the arena of foreign policy. The New Islamist mounted a strong
centrist challenge to the views of the more radical Islamist, who give uncritical support to
the Iraqis. The New Islamist feared that the preponderance of American power displayed
during the Gulf crisis would have profound and lead to disturbing impact on the question of
Palestine in their view, the sequence of events that led from the Gulf War to the Madrid
Conference in 1991 through the Oslo Accord of 1994 and into the Palestinian- Israeli
negotiations that confirmed their concern. Although the world accepts a series of
agreements as a peace process in the Palestinian- Israeli conflict, the New Islamist do not
recognized that as they call it as misleading. It is because they insisted that peace in
Palestine can only be raised through justice. They also think that the series of argument
depicted as some sort of power balance that only favoured Israel and for the New Islamist, it
signify final defeat to Israel.

The disunity of Arab country in term of the Palestinian- Israeli conflict convinced the world
that Arab world is not capable of protecting the Palestinian from the catastrophic fate
fabricated by Israel. Only resistance within Palestine can guarantee the justice to be served
for the Palestinian. The rise of Palestinian depicted by the first Intifada in 1987 as the
Palestinian had suffered so much of humiliation, alone as the result of the disunity of Arab
world. Despite of that, the New Islamist really had their support towards the second Intifada
in 2000, or the Al- Aqsa Intifada, named after the first direction of kiblah for Muslim to
worship their god, Allah. However, these support did not came through because of the
success rate, but because they want to take and show it to the world as the sign that the
resistance will be continues until justice has been served for the Palestinian. As Bill Clinton
in his last Presidency term, he arranged a meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel, Barak
and Palestinian President, Yasser Arafat. As it is called the final settlement, Clinton proposed
that 95 percent of the West Bank will be the territory of the Palestinian. The second Intifada
aborted the effort which led to the resignation of Barak and making Sharon at the top of
Israel administration.
One of the New Islamist- oriented person, Fahmy Huwaidy are not satisfied with the
Western media and their blurry and distorted reports and he came out with the actual
content of the American proposal. Rather, the proposal intended to make the acceptance of
the additional seizure of the Palestinian land. During the adding of Israel into Jerusalem,
Israel had taken 18 percent of the West Bank, for what it best, and it is off the record. This is
the unfortunate part. The proposal also allows Israel to demand an additional for 5 percent
of the West Bank land and they can also demand long-term lease for 3 percent. Yet, they
also can demand 1 percent in addition to build a Jewish settlement, which can be total up to
9 percent. Huwaidy also stressed about the other element that can favour Israel, thus
suppress the Palestinian. The elements are an exchange of land to compensate Palestinians
for the loss of territory to the Jewish settlements; arrangements for the refugees; the
resolution of the issue of sovereignty over the Muslim holy places in Jerusalem; and the final
form of the Palestinian state.

Discussion

From our opinion, we are agreeing that there are many factors that caused Palestine to be
at chaos until today. The main reason is the disunity of the Arab countries. Despite of
helping Palestine in any aspects, the leader of Arab countries are busy to take care of their
interest even they have to conspire with the west and Israel. This is the main weakness of
Muslim nowadays, especially the leaders of Muslim countries. Just for a good example, the
president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak that has been deposed by his own people. This is
because, as 30 years of his leadership, none are achieved. Furthermore, he conspired with
Israel and sold Egypt’s gas to Israel. He is busy collecting his own wealth and he forgot about
his own people and their sufferings. Unemployment is rising, wages at the same old rate and
not enough for daily usage, corruption among the upper leadership and questionable
elections. Hosni’s government is not transparent. The same things happen in Tunisia. The
main point is the weakness of the leader himself. The Arab world should help each other in
the name of Islam brotherhood. Despite of that, they keep fighting with each other. Iran
versus Iraq, Iraq versus Lebanon, all of these events should be remembered and taken its
lesson as how rich is your country with oil and gases, how advanced your weaponry, if a
country does not form an ally, it is hard to win. From our opinion, the New Islamist should
have been formed into a more organized body to fight for the right of Muslims all over the
world as it has certain influential members that can make all the efforts of New Islamist
more recognizable. From Islamic point of view, Allah demands all Muslim to take care each
other and defend Islam integrity. So, by forming a more strong organization, all Muslim
issues including social, economics and politics can be encountered with musyawarah. It is
true that we have Organization of the Islamic conference (OIC), but it does not seem very
effective. The best they can do is sat down together and making a draft of resolution and
nothing happen.

The invasion of Israel towards Palestine will not accomplished if Israel is alone in doing its
genocide towards the Palestinian. America played a very crucial role in helping Israel and
without any doubt, America knows very well about the hardship of Palestinian, yet they still
giving aid and support to Israel in term of financial support and weaponry. In our opinion,
America should not interfere and aiding Israel at all cost. Being the police nation, America
has not enough interfering in another country’s administration. Under Barack Obama’s
administration, Islam world may be able to have a little relief as he try to understands Islam
and reduce the “Islam phobia” in the West side since 9/11. But, we cannot be too sure as to
further his presidency term and his campaign, he needs funds from his lobbyists.
Unfortunately, most his funds contributors are involved in Zionist movement. This may keep
Obama to think twice regarding his stand about the Palestinian issues. He has to please his
campaign donor, or otherwise he will not last long in the White House.

Other than that, United Nation does not play its role and keep doing things favoured by
America. United Nation seems has lost its power in order to regain world peace and
preventing war from happening. That is the main objective of the establishment of United
Nation. United Nation should do some change in its administration, like vanishing the veto
power from America, France, United Kingdom, China and Russia. By this veto power, they
always can protest the proposal in peace plan regarding the Palestinian issues. Maybe not
all five countries opposed to that plan, but if only America alone opposed to it, the plan
cannot be carried out. From the Islamic point of view, those Palestinians who fight against
the cruelty of Israel are considered doing jihad. We as the Muslim brotherhood should, in
any way, helping them regardless what restriction being applied to Palestine. Once all the
Muslims in the world work together, we can fight and free ourselves especially the
Palestinian from the cruelty of those who hostile Allah S.W.T.