The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 9

October 6, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 11 Opinions The Middle East “peace deal” is more than meets the eye As you might have seen in international news, a diplomatic tie between the UAE, Bahrain and Israel has been initiated, and thus, is being celebrated globally. However, prior to this “peace deal,” these countries had already made connections with Israel. So, finally making this alliance formal was seen as a “win” of some sort. However, I must argue that the term “peace deal” is actually quite deceptive in this case. It lures people into joining in the celebrations for the sake of harmony and justice, but you should think twice about that. Whose victory is this really? First, the deal is clearly in favor of our president, Donald Trump. He could use this substantial alliance as leverage in the upcoming presidential election,as far as his Middle East policy and foreign policy goes anyway. Second, it is an obvious win for the American-Israeli-Saudi alliance. Since the beginning of the tension and division in the Middle East, this operation has sought to shift the general focus of the people to the “Iranian threat” rather than what is really important to solving the constant unrest of their region: the Palestinian question. The intention seems pure on the surface, but it is destined to widen the divide between the rulers and the populace. Usually in politics, an alliance of the economic and political leaders is kept in power usually by their ability to enact and enforce a certain foreign policy that seems beneficial to either administration rather thanby their ability to represent the masses of their nation. This has created a problem where those in power take more of an interest in the maintenance of geopolitical matters as opposed to local and regional matters. A country’s ruler should hold its citizens and the issues they have on a pedestal, yet the geopolitical agenda is what the Arab government presses forward. Is this not convincing enough? Frequently, it is observed that Arab authorities work hard to repress the attitude of foreign policy on their population as opposed to working on their internal aspirations for equality and democracy. Hence, this deal will make countries like Bahrain, which already has inadequate human rights, to become more repressed. This deal will also elevate the importance of geopolitical matters to authorities -- who should be looking out for their citizens and their wellbeing in all aspects -- that aren’t important to the everyday lives of the nation’s people. Both Jordan and Egypt have had a “peace deal” with Israel for a long time now. However, it is clear to everyone that these arrangements have not translated into peace between people. In fact, this will only occur when a just solution to the Palestinian question is found. So, before supporting this alliance and celebrating its establishment, you need to know what exactly they are celebrating: negligence to the suffering of the Palestinians. I, myself, stand with this defeated party. This is just another “peace process” that ignores the elephant in the room. People are going to get fed up, and sooner or later, the real issue will have to be dealt with. “ So, before supporting this alliance and celebrating its establishment, you need to know what exactly they are celebrating: negligence to the suffering of the Palestinians. By: Isabella Gómez Contributing Writer Columbus Day under a microscope With Columbus Day on Oct. 12 and approaching fast, many people are taking the opportunity to reexamine the holiday. Columbus Day has been acknowledged as a federal holiday since 1937, occasionally celebrated with parades, but most often recognized as a day off in schools and some workplaces. Over the last few years, more states and cities have chosen to rename this holiday Indigenous People’s Day. This change seems to be a gesture to refocus the nation‘s attention on Native American and indigenous communities in this country. Centering indigenous people on this day gives them a platform to discuss their history in the U.S. from their own perspective, which many citizens would not seek out otherwise. Unsurprisingly, there are varying opinions on this topic. Many of those that are supportive of this change feel that Columbus Day’s recognition of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America is an inaccurate portrayal of events and not worth celebrating. Those that are opposed to this change seemed concerned with losing out on traditions and festivities attached to the holiday. If we know these traditions have questionable origins, why is the nation clinging to them so fiercely? The reality is that Americans are in denial. They don’t want to let go of their festivities because doing that would force them to acknowledge the true shameful history behind the holiday. The happy festivities are a mask that America hides behind and it is not right. Indigenous people deserve to be heard, and they deserve to not have their transgressors championed or glorified. So, should more of the country get on board with this rebranding? Absolutely. The thing is, it can’t only be a rebranding. It’s important to be vocal about that full history behind this holiday, and that includes the fact that the name had to be changed at all. It should not be swept under the rug that, at one point in time, the U.S. believed this was a person worth celebrating. Why was there ever a need to celebrate the facilitators of atrocities? Establishing Indigenous People’s Day will amplify the voices of Native Americans that often go unheard and give them an opportunity to share their culture. People can still have their festivities and their day off, but this time, they’d be uplifting an underrepresented population’s culture. “ If we know these traditions have questionable origins, why is the nation clinging to them so fiercely? The reality is that Americans are in denial. By: Nyla Whyte Contributing Writer PHOTO PRINTED PERMISSION BY F. SHABAN The border of Palestine and Isreal from the West Bank side. *POLL TAKEN ON INSTAGRAM