Today, we will touch history when it comes to Israel's relations with the Arab world: the first civilian flight will publicly take off from Tel Aviv for the United Arab Emirates, and no less important – the Israeli plane will fly through the airspace of Saudi Arabia, a country that currently offers the Arab world and a considerable number of Muslim countries an alternate for leadership and ideas.
These are two events that will help make new history, no less than peace with Egypt – which was first and surprising – and no less than the Oslo Accords, which aspired to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but failed, and no less than the peace treaty with Jordan, whose main contribution, for Israeli Arabs, was in encouraging academic education for tens of thousands.
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As an Arab and a citizen of Israel who seeks peace, I do not hide my excitement at any incidence of dialogue, especially this one. Hand on my heart, I'd be happy to be on this first flight to take an active part in promoting normalization and peace between the country of which I am a citizen and would like to integrate into and succeed in, and a country whose nation, religion, and culture I am a part of.
Back at the time of the Oslo Accords, when the dream of peace with the Palestinians and normalization between Israel and 22 Arab countries first arose, the Arab citizens of Israel were described as a "bridge to peace." Back then, 30 years ago, I was a high school student, and I wondered, "Why should we, the Arab citizens of Israel, have to be satisfied with the role of a 'bridge'? Even that definition was an insult because bridges are something to be trodden on as people go from one place to another. Arab citizens of Israel should be leaders, and represent Israel, not a tool to connect the 'Jews' to the 'Arab world.'"
Some of the members of the Arab leadership in Israel, who have ties or links to Arab states that oppose the UAE but not relations with Israel in general, rushed to placate their patrons and oppose the deal with the Emiratis. But Israeli Arabs must not fall into the trap of populism. The nascent deal has so much potential and so many opportunities, especially for Israel's Arab citizens.
The dream of closeness and contact with my cultural and linguistic brothers across the sea has become a reality. It is palpable in conversations I have with residents of Gulf States, especially UAE citizens, who see Israel – and Israelis – differently than we have been led to believe. The Palestinian issue no longer lies at the heart of relations between Israel and Arab states, and is no longer seen as the main reason for the Israeli-Arab conflict. It's no secret – not among the Arab population in Israel, and not in the wider Arab world – that the main issue is the Palestinian leadership's failure for generations to create Palestinian unity and propose an alternative to armed struggle.
The sense is that not only has peace failed, but the struggle has too, at least in its current form. So the Arab world wants to throw off the sense of responsibility for the Palestinian issue and move on. The world is changing, and it won't wait for anyone who insists on remaining behind on the wrong side of history.
Arab citizens of Israel, this great moment is ours as well.
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