Resurrection of new Arab unity can prompt a peace in Near East

News flashes from Near East resemble communications from a common battle scene. Over years and decades Arabs spoke about Arab unity with bitter sense of disappointment. Neighboring nations and sympathizers used to refer to those aspirations as a dream which could hardly be achieved. Scholars invested their knowledge and time to dig into the challenges and controversies of Arab national integration. Failure to establish that real unity and  cooperation to address huge problems Arab people are facing in their countries and in relations between their own  and neighboring states boosted the rise of political Islam and religious identity to find a healing remedy.

Whatever the skepticism was about a driving power of common Arab identity the movement that has started in Tunisia and has been magnified by protesters in Egypt by no doubt revitalized that dream. Once a move in tiny Tunisia boosted a wave of solidarity through entire Arab world, once it was not ended up in a simple explosion of emotions but reshaped international appearance of biggest Arab country, thus the Arab nation worked as a commonality with certain extent of shared destiny. It was not of surprise that some of those who struggled to topple general Mubarak down raised portraits of general Nasser, from whose overcoat both Mubarak and Sadat had jumped out, who, however, in eyes of Arabs struggled for all Arab people. It is an issue of Arab leadership that is seemed to be re-gained by Egypt.

This time the Arab dream has not been in hands of rulers, but new generation of Arabs standing on for better for better fate of  the nation. It is also remarkable that actually no common Arab slogans, which used to go along at majority of protest actions in Arab world, were actually manifested by protesters at Tahrir Square. No anti-Israel, anti-Western, or anti-American slogans were sounded. This indicates that the dream was in hands of Arab citizens, not rulers and it was of a new quality and comprehension, it was not against any other people, but about themselves and others altogether. Also remarkable such new comprehension was because it was shared by Moslem brotherhood opponents of national idea. This might be of global significance for the whole world of Islam and entire international relations as it brought to certain balance of religious and national identity that used to contest on political sphere over decades.

However the aspirations and positivity are fragile as they have implications to broader regional challenges. Does such new quality and meaningful resurrection of common Arab sentiments create a threat for long demanded peace in the region, more specifically is it a threat to Israel security and American interests? We may expect more consistency and persistence in negotiations, but more responsiveness and comprehension  of substantially new conditions as well as more trust and confidence in new generation of Arab negotiators are expected from partners. Otherwise the fragile balance might be broken up and contesting approaches might divide and radicalize actors on Arab side. It can hardly bring benefits for all who thirst stability and peace and decent life for the people in the region.