In a pro-Israeli article in the liberal Arabic website Elaph.com, Saudi writer and author Khalid Turki Aal Turki wrote that Israel is a peaceful country "by any standard", which is scientifically advanced and extends assistance in the field of health to others, including the Palestinians. In this, he argued, it contrasts with Turkey and Iran, which who spread their extremist ideologies in the Arab countries and support the militias within them, and are thus the true enemies of the Arabs. He concluded by saying that logic and reality dictate that the Arabs should forge peace with Israel for a joint fight against their common enemies, whom he called the "the forces of evil and terror."
Khalid Turki Aal Turki (Source: Elaph.com)
The following are translated excerpts from his article:[1]
"If we want to be honest with ourselves, before anything else, then let us listen to the voice of logic, rather than to sentiments, which by their very nature are affected by every shrill claim in the media, be it accurate or false. Israel is a peace-loving country by any yardstick. From the day of its establishment until today, we have never heard, read or seen Israel working to spread any ideology or belief in other countries, or to support militias [within them], as Iran and Turkey are doing. Ask anyone on the street in an Arab country who is behind all the destruction and extremism in the Middle East, and he will immediately tell you: Iran and Turkey.
"In this article I will not discuss the issue of yes or no to normalization, for the newspapers and websites are full of it. Instead I will merely shed light on Israel's achievements and immense service to science and humanity, and will then let the Arab citizen judge.
"Israel dispatches doctors to treat the sick in impoverished African countries and elsewhere without recompense. It also treats many Palestinians, even some who tried to commit terror attacks to murder innocent Israelis! Israel still strives for peace with all Arab countries; it is a state that respects human rights and the sovereignty of [other] states; in the field of science, it excels on a global level and occupies a leading position in scientific research; Israeli universities are high on the list of the world's [best] universities; Israel is considered an arms-producing country and assists other countries, such as India, in their military industry; the Israeli Watergen company has managed to create a device to produce water from air; Medicine and medical research are proceeding full thrust in Israel. In fact, it has become the preferred location for medical treatment for many, to the point that senior Palestinian officials do not find a better place than Israel for receiving good medical treatment and care.
"This is but a drop in the ocean. After all this, I believe that, by any logic and in view of reality, the interest of the Arab homeland [indeed] lies with Israel, just as Israel's interests lie with the Arab homeland – for circumstances and geography have decreed that we all to join hands in order to destroy the forces of evil and terror and delineate a path to peace that both we and the future generations will enjoy."
[1] Elaph.com, May 21, 2020.
