Beijing symposium is positive step for Arab-Israeli conflict

The Middle East has been in trouble for several decades. The creation of Israel in the heart of the Muslim world was a cause of concern for the whole middle-east. Israel and Arabs fought wars and had many small misadventures in the past, and a big war was fought in 1967. The whole world was worried about this ever-increasing tension. Some Western countries tried to play the role of peace broker in the past, but all efforts ended in vain. Western peace initiatives were backed by the US. Unfortunately, the US carried bias and maintained a close alliance with Israel. With this affiliation, all peace initiatives were in favor of Israel and not acceptable to Palestine. Especially at the latest UN General Assembly meeting, the US was exposed and lost credibility as a neutral actor in the Middle East conflict. As a result, the Middle East is even more unstable, and facing an ever-present fear of disaster.

We appreciate China for taking the initiative to host a Palestine-Israel symposium in Beijing. This is the first time in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict that two nations will directly talk to each other without third-party intervention. This has provided them a chance to resolve their issues without any pressure. Both can discuss each and every aspect of the question without any prior conditions and in a straightforward manner. It might take some time to resolve this long outstanding issue, and might take a few more rounds of talks.

China has emerged as the second largest economy in the world. It has gained a reasonable position in the international community. China has a role to play in world affairs. The country’s political say and viewpoint is well respected worldwide, and Chinese leadership is mature and possesses a global vision. In the recent past, China has been pro-actively expressing its position on several international issues like North Korea, Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen. The world has given due importance to the Chinese viewpoint.

We must trust the Beijing-based Palestine-Israel symposium will be constructive and fruitful. It might take some time, but will definitely be positive. Any conclusion or agreement reached will be implemented, and China might act as guarantor.

The author is a Sinologist at the National University of Sciences and Technology in Pakistan.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.