Religious fundamentalism in Israel threatens road to peace: Ex-UK envoy

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) — As Israel continues its major offensives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, while also striking Syria and Yemen, a diplomatic breakthrough toward peace seems more distant than ever.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud Party lead the Israeli government, but it also includes figures positioned even further to the right, many with a strong religious agenda that some, like retired British diplomat William Patey, might label extremist.

Patey, a former British ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Iraq, is concerned over the growing influence of religious extremism in Israeli policymaking, which he believes is a major obstacle to peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

In an interview with Anadolu, Patey emphasized that religious ideologies, particularly among fundamentalist Jewish groups, are complicating negotiations and obstructing progress toward a two-state solution.

"When religion is brought into political argument, you're dealing with fundamentalists, dealing with fundamentalist Jews," he said, highlighting the difficulties this brings to negotiations.

Despite these challenges, he affirmed that Britain remains committed to supporting Israel's right to exist within secure borders but warned that this should not come at the expense of Palestinians' right to their own state.

"We now have a problem of 40,000 Palestinians being killed in Gaza and many people are growing up with unprecedented hatred toward Israel," Patey noted.

He also discussed the evolving stance of Arab states, many of which have expressed a willingness to normalize relations with Israel through the Arab Peace Initiative if a Palestinian state is established.

"The majority of Arab states have made it absolutely clear they are more than willing to accept Israel as a normal, friendly partner within the Middle East if there's a Palestinian state," Patey explained.

He stressed the need to gain wider acceptance in Israel for any peace initiative, warning that without it, peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine would remain elusive.

Reflecting on the UK's current diplomatic approach, Patey described British policy as a "balancing act," reiterating the UK's support for Israel's security while also being committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

"Britain will never abandon Israel if there’s an existential threat," he said, but emphasized that this support must not undermine the Palestinians' right to a secure and sovereign state.

Patey called for renewed efforts to convince Israelis of the merits of a two-state solution, cautioning that failure to do so could perpetuate instability in the region.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 41,600 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 96,200 others injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.