If there will be a World War any time soon, it is most likely to break out from the Middle East this time, unlike Europe as in the past. Since the creation of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, they have been involved in a series of wars, skirmishes, violence and terrorism with their Muslim and Arab regional neighbours.

The main casus belli is Israel’s entitlement to exist as a nation. While Israel sees its re-emergence as a fulfilment of Biblical prophecies which also designated the territories of Israel as well as Samaria and Judea (West Bank) as God’s bequest to the Jewish nation, their Palestinian, Arab and Muslim neighbours see their presence as an unacceptable Western imposition of “Zionists” on the current “owners” of the land. They are sworn to eliminating the Jewish state by all means possible.

A dispute deeply mired not just in history but also religion creates a perfect zero-sum scenario of endless conflict.

The current upsurge of war took place a year ago, on Saturday, October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists from Gaza broke into Southern Israel during a Jewish music festival. They massacred more than 1,200 men, women and children and carried off 240 unarmed Israelis and foreigners as hostages into Gaza. Israel reacted, sparking a war that has taken over 40,000 lives, with Gaza virtually levelled.

Israel also responded to attacks from Iranian proxy terrorist groups: the Houthi in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and others in Syria and Iraq. They eliminated the Hezbollah leadership and wrecked its military architecture. Iran yielded to pressures by attacking Israel on October 1, 2024 with more than 200 ballistic missiles and drones.

The entire world is on edge, as Israel is obviously expected to retaliate the Iranian attack on its people and cities. Already, the USA and Britain have their warships in the Middle East, ready to act in Israel’s defence.

It is hoped that all parties de-escalate the tension and prevent a wider regional conflict that could trigger WW III. Israel has shown a graphic example of what a WW III could look like. The deployment of technology, including Artificial Intelligence, AI, and possibly nuclear munitions, could spell doom for mankind.

We call for the full recognition of Israel’s right to exist by its neighbours, an independent Palestinian State committed to peace and progress rather than war, and the cessation of third party funding of crises in the region. Without this compromise, the Middle East will become the undoing of the world as we know it.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other progressive Gulf states have shown what benefits that peace can bring to a nation. That is the only viable way forward.

Let compromise lead in the Middle East.