By Jeffrey Sachs - Despite the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon, the risks of a widening war in the Middle East remain. Too many political leaders, including President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the leaders of radical groups in the Middle East, prefer military solutions to peaceful compromise.

When Bush paints the Middle East as a struggle of good versus evil, or terror versus freedom, he abandons politics. When Israel attempts vainly to defeat Hezbollah, it tries to avoid painful but necessary political compromises over disputed territory.

The problems of the Middle East are much more about politics and culture than about terror versus freedom. Part of the problem is Israel’s continuing occupation of the West Bank as well as a piece of southern Lebanon. Until Israel agrees to return to the 1967 borders with minor modifications, and to end its political control over millions of West Bank Arabs, unrest will continue.

Another part of the problem is the brazen manipulation of the Persian Gulf region by the UK and US to ensure their oil security. There can be little doubt that the current war in Iraq is fundamentally about oil. For nearly 100 years, first the British empire and then the US manipulated Middle Eastern governments, launched coups, bought puppet regimes, and supported wars, with the main purpose of controlling the region’s oil flows.

This approach continues despite its persistent failure. The key to oil security is peace, not military occupation and puppet regimes. The US embraced the Shah of Iran, and got the Iranian Revolution. The US embraced, and later toppled, Saddam Hussein, inciting chaos, with an unintended boost for Iran. The US stationed troops in Saudi Arabia and thus helped to create al-Qaeda’s political agenda. The US pushed for elections in Palestine, but then championed the financial strangulation of the newly elected Hamas government.

These factors, together with the obvious failings of many Middle Eastern governments, have fueled the surge of fundamentalism among Muslims, American Christians, and some Israeli Jews that has now boiled over to rampant extremism, terror, and messianic visions of good versus evil. True, fundamentalists are a minority everywhere, but they are stoking widespread fear, loathing, and dreams of salvation, provoking violence and war while weakening moderates forces.

Many warmongers in Washington, including apparently some in the White House, are seeking to expand their endless military campaign to Iran and Syria. Indeed, the daily demonizing of Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah is the same as the morbid demonization of Saddam before the Iraq War. The war party appears to be trying to whip up American public opinion in support of a wider conflict. Political operatives may also judge that an increased sense of danger and insecurity will tilt votes to the Republicans in the US congressional elections in November.

We need to reject “us-versus-them” logic, in which Israel is pure and the Arabs are evil (or vice versa). Every state in the region must embrace compromise and mutual respect as the basis of a lasting settlement. Israel will not be able to avoid territorial withdrawals to the 1967 borders by exercising its military might; the US will not be able to ensure oil security through continued military occupation in the Middle East; and terrorists will not be able to destroy Israel or foist their fundamentalist ideas by force on moderate societies.

This is no pipe dream. In my work throughout the world, as an economist and development practitioner, I find that the vast majority of individuals and political leaders of all religions, races, and creeds are ready to work together to achieve the shared goals of prosperity and wellbeing for their children. The claim by many Israelis that there are “no partners for peace” is absurd. Israel’s neighbors will make peace on the basis of fair borders and fair play.

Similarly, the claim that we are headed toward an inevitable clash of civilizations is sheer madness, propounded by people who think the worst of other groups but don’t really know them through personal contact or shared experience. What unites us is vastly greater than what divides us.

We can’t depend on our political leaders to do what is needed, because many of them are captives or promoters of extremist views. Our independent media need to seek out voices not only of the warmongers who make so much noise, but also of civil society leaders whose voices we do not regularly hear. American newspapers need to publish op-ed pieces not only by Americans “interpreting” the Middle East, but also by representative thinkers from the Middle East itself. Scientists in Europe, the US, Asia, and the Middle East need to deepen their contacts and work together. The same is true with artists, musicians, sports teams, and community leaders.

Crass tribalism now threatens to overwhelm all that unites us in our common care for our children, our planet, and our future. This is a challenge far too important to be left to Bush, Blair, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, and Ehud Olmert. Peace will be won by the moderate voices around the world that demand an end to senseless violence and to the tragic illusions of those who believe in a “final victory” over their foes.


Jeffrey Sachs is Professor of Economics and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University.

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2006.