By Iman Shams

American diplomat Richard Haass, who has been close to the White House and various American administrations for four decades, saw that the two-state solution is dying and that “the situation in the Middle East region is on the cusp of a more dangerous era.”

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Haass stressed the seriousness of the situation in the Middle East, due to a number of failures of the American administration during the last seven years in the region, and he listed them as follows:

- The weakness of the American position in the Greater Middle East.

- The emergence of the Iranian Empire, which has influence and influence beyond its borders.

- The weakening of the Palestinian Authority and the emergence of Hamas as a major actor in Gaza.

- The Iranian and American role in the chaos in Iraq that drained American resources.

Today he believes that "the Middle East is in worse shape than it was seven years ago. It is as if chaos is the new world order."

American diplomat Richard Haass, who has been close to the White House and various American administrations for four decades, saw that the two-state solution is dying and that “the situation in the Middle East region is on the cusp of a more dangerous era.”

Pessimistic outlook

He looks at the situation pessimistically and says: “The world is in a state of chaos, but the chaos is based on solid foundations. The conflict between dictatorship and democracy, the decline in the influence of the United States in global affairs, and the rise of China, all of these factors contribute to this chaos. The rise of China, which "It does not represent the power of the status quo, it represents a shift in the balance. And a Russia that is really disaffected and able to do something, as we see in Ukraine and other places, is shifting power in different forms that are moving around the world."

Haass acknowledged that the United States of America had become “less capable and less prepared to act effectively in the world. There is a gap between global challenges and global responses,” and said: “Our relative position in the world has deteriorated, again partly due to the rise of others,” considering that “ We must realize that there is no such thing as the international community.”

Taiwan and Ukraine

Haass called on the United States to make more efforts to support Taiwan, avoid resorting to the use of force, and seek to discourage the Chinese from moving there. He said: “China knows that if it uses force on a large scale against Taiwan, it is betting on the future of the Communist Party and the current leadership. It will not "I would be surprised to see more powerful Chinese aircraft or ships. But I think they will show restraint. I think Xi will put pressure on Taiwan indirectly for the foreseeable future. The only thing that could change the situation is a radical change in the US's ability or willingness to help Taiwan." "The upcoming elections are very important. Many countries in the region are wondering what this will mean for the United States' willingness to support its allies and partners."

As for Ukraine, “although we would like Ukraine to regain all of its territory, this will not happen,” Haass said, “partly because Russia can do a lot, and in the event of a strike, North Korea can help or Iran or even China... Ukraine must move away from its current strategy. Success does not mean that Ukraine militarily liberates all of its territory, but rather that it becomes a permanent entity. It must move from an offensive strategy, which I do not think can succeed, to a defensive strategy that can succeed. “I believe that it should wait for a completely different Russia, one that is willing to make some concessions in exchange for ending its outcast political and economic status.”

“Russia could say it won, but it didn’t,” Haass added. “In addition, Ukraine will somehow be integrated into the EU and NATO. There will be a prosperous Western state, which is exactly what Putin does not want to see. His immediate successor could be worse.” "But his successor's successor may not be the same. At some point, in Russia, Vladimir Putin will be considered the one who led Russia from one precipice to another."

Haass called on the United States to do more to support Taiwan, avoid resorting to the use of force and seek to discourage the Chinese from moving there.

Can Hamas be destroyed?

In response to this question, Haass answers: “No. But it can be weakened or seriously deteriorated. But Hamas is a network as much as it is a movement. There will always be real or potential armed resistance. I do not think there is an end at the moment, because the Israelis They entered the conflict without specifying an end. There are two big issues. They can weaken Hamas, and they will. They are causing a huge number of casualties and civilian deaths in the process, but for there to be a real end, you need a subsequent ruling authority and a security guarantor. I don't see "Either one is available. The Israelis will have to do it."

He agrees that “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu undermined the Palestinian Authority, which was the potential Palestinian partner. He arguably empowered Hamas by handing Gaza over to Hamas. His goal in this operation was to perpetuate a version of the status quo in Israel, and to let Gaza isolate itself Basic". But he believes that the Israelis, for the most part, do not care about Gaza. She was never part of the settlement movement in a serious way. It was a sideshow, and what the Israelis wanted to do was avoid the establishment of a Palestinian state. They want to avoid imposing restrictions on settlements. When I say the Israelis, I mean the coalition of Netanyahu and his companions, and what they basically want is not to go to a one-state solution.

Regarding the two-state solution, he said, “It is dead,” and concluded by saying: “Rather, let us say that it is on life support. Although Israeli-Palestinian relations were bad on October 6, they have become much worse now. I can present all arguments against the feasibility of the two-state solution, but it is the way "The only one I know of to respond to the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians and to ensure that Israel remains a Jewish, democratic state."

From Assas Media