We have become so accustomed over the past several decades to seeing Israel portrayed as the primary aggressor in the Middle East that it seldom surprises us anymore when the country is described as such. Over the past month, Israel's government has been accused of spoiling for a fight with Syria, while pushing the Palestinians to the brink of resuming their intifada. Warmongering comes naturally to them.
History teaches otherwise.
The state of Israel is prepared to contribute its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East. With these words, Israel declared independence in May 1948, immediately offering the hand of friendship to its neighbours - despite the fact they had rejected the United Nations decision to partition Palestine, were sponsoring violent acts against the Jewish population, and were on the verge of invading the fledgling state. But Israel resumed secret meetings with the Jordanians in a bid to reach a peace treaty. Arab pressure on Jordan, however, scuppered that initiative. Egypt's blocking of the Suez canal and Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping led to the 1956 Suez crisis, but Israel continued to seek dialogue.