The popular saying goes, "If it were going to rain, it would have clouded over by now," which is a metaphor describing the Arab-Israeli conflict precisely
For more than seven decades, no true clouds of peace have appeared in the region's sky, but only mirages of political deception, which sadly the Arabs did not see (whether the stars of noon) and what the stars entail of a painful reality.
Today, with the erosion of the "two-state solution" project due to attempts at Judaizing Jerusalem and the fading dream of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4th, 1967 borders as per previous hidden Israeli plans now openly revealed, the Arab public opinion is increasingly turning sceptical about theoretical propositions, after reality has proven that "the writing is on the wall."
Behind the curtain lies the strength and truth.
The confrontation with "Lapid" in Budapest within the context of exposing the falsehood of Israeli political rhetoric, I recall an incident that took place two decades ago in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, when it was visited by "Yosef Tommy Lapid," whose original name was Yosef Tomislav Lapid, a Hungarian native who was then the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister of Israel, one of Ariel Sharon's closest politicians, and the father of Yair Lapid, a former Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister of Israel.
The audience was anticipating a "lecture on peace and democracy," and I was present at the request of an Arab ambassador for two reasons.
The first - as a specialist in security politics in the Middle East, specifically in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The second - as one of the colleagues wished me not to leave the arena to them to have free rein in their false propositions, and that we must confront them.
And of course, my attendance, which was the first time for such meetings because of a colleague’s strong desire (certainly, Omar does not repeat it) to hear the same old lies (as these people do not fear or yield except before strength).
In front of a large crowd of diplomats, academics, and elites, Lapid elaborated on his state's desire for peace, trying to market the image of a "peaceful state" amid a hostile environment. When the discussion floor was opened, the audience asked dozens of questions, and just before ending the session without requesting to speak, the session's chairman (the dean of the faculty of arts) asked me to talk about peace in the region, indeed I was given the floor unexpectedly, to put things into perspective in a historical moment that was not planned, but was an inevitable confrontation between field realities and political claims.
The "Red Tile" theory.
The hidden truth beneath the surfaces
I directed my speech to "Lapid" and the audience saying.
> "The Arab people, in general, and the Palestinians and Jordanians in particular, are questioning the credibility of your discourse on the two-state solution, at a time when the settlement machine does not stop. You are devouring the occupied lands every few months to build on them hundreds and thousands of luxury settlements, distinguished by their fine architecture and their roofs covered with luxurious red tiles."
I continued my speech in a sharp politically sarcastic language that exposed the minister's confusion.
> "If you are sincere in your intentions to withdraw and establish a Palestinian state, you should now declare in front of this international gathering that these villas and residential complexes are being built to be handed over 'for free' to the Palestinians as soon as the agreement is signed. But if they are for the permanent residence of your settlers, then your talk about peace is nothing but systematic deception."
The summary of the scene.
Who owns the "Tile" has the decision.
Lapid's confusion and his changing facial expressions were sufficient to answer the audience's real questions (and of course in my words), as the "Red Tile" revealed what diplomatic speeches fail to. The huge investment in infrastructure and permanent buildings on the occupied lands is the real message
"We are here to stay"
What the region is witnessing today of escalation and absence of a political horizon is not coincidental, but a natural result of the "possession" policy and imposing the factual reality with stone and tile. The era of relying on oral promises has passed; societies do not believe what they hear, but believe what they see built on their land. Those who knock on the doors of history with lies of peace, must bear the brunt of the truth when geographical facts slap them "Tile yaa Lapid".
