ABU DHABI: Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the United Arab Emirates president, called on Wednesday for compromise to end the Middle East conflict by providing security for Israel and a viable state for Palestinians.
The Gaza ceasefire that came into force earlier this month presents an important opening but the approach to one of the world’s most complex and intractable conflicts needs to change, Gargash said in an interview at the Reuters NEXT Gulf Summit in Abu Dhabi.
“This is definitely a moment of opportunity. I think the first thing to say, we see opportunity because we have a chance today to change course,” he said.
The UAE, a wealthy Gulf Arab state, is seen as a vital player in efforts to rebuild Gaza after two years of war — following the deadly attack on southern Israel by militant group Hamas — that killed tens of thousands of people and demolished the Palestinian enclave, creating widespread hunger and a humanitarian disaster.
“Some policies are no longer valid and should not be reincarnated, the maximalist views on the Palestinian issue are no longer valid, we have to address the issue that we have two contending nationalisms fighting on one piece of land and that land has to be divided,” Gargash said.
