A Time to Welcome and Support Iran-US Peace Agreement, Avoid Talk of Victory or Defeat

Even though all its details are not clear yet, the very fact that a peace agreement between the USA and Iran has been reached should be widely welcomed. This peace agreement deserves wide support. Of course the way in which the war started was very unjust and in the course of the war many injustices have taken place. While I have been opposing this, let me add now in this rare moment of peace that this is not the time to speak again and again about all this. For some time let us concentrate on strengthening peace, not talking about past injustices.

I would like to say further that this is not the time to talk in terms of victory or defeat. At this juncture too much debate on who won or who lost can make the task of peace makers more difficult. In any case peace is much more important than who won or who lost.

In fact I would like to congratulate both the Iranian leadership and President Trump for this particular peace agreement. Of course President Trump had his own political compulsions. At the same time it should be added that he has shown wisdom and resolve in going ahead with the peace agreement despite the fact that some powerful persons and some of his own supporters and even senior colleagues appeared to be more inclined to go in the opposite direction. It is keeping in view this reality that all forces of peace must be one in supporting this particular step of President Trump, whatever the strong opposition to him in some other contexts.

It is particularly encouraging and welcome to know that President Trump has been able to overcome, at least for now, the opposition of the powerful Israeli lobby to making peace with Iran. President Trump has shown, to welcoming approval of most people of the world, that he will not bow to the pressures of the Israeli lobby and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to fight a prolonged or forever war with Iran, as desired and strongly favored by the likes of Netanyahu. Even as I am writing this, there are reports of Israel’s continuing attacks on Lebanon even at the late stage of the peace agreement, but thankfully the peace agreement could be reached despite this. More efforts may be made to obstruct or sabotage the peace agreement, there may even be a false flag operation, but the peace process should go ahead.

Just as President Trump and those of his colleagues who support peace deserve praise, similarly the Iranian leadership deserves praise. As in the case of the USA and Trump, we cannot agree with all that the leaders of Iran said or did, but on the whole they acted with courage and determination, upholding their country’s honor, and when the time for peace came, they passed this test too.

While both Iran and the USA deserve praise at this juncture, it is also important to remember that no matter what the aggressiveness of Netanyahu, there are several honorable persons of peace in Israel too, and this would be the right time for them to issue a joint statement that they too support peace and they want their country too to join peace efforts and to stop attacking Lebanon.

Admittedly there are several differences that remain to be resolved, and the negotiations ahead can also be quite tough. However this writer has always believed that once there is a sincere desire for peace, whatever obstacles exist can be overcome.