Disorganized world elite: Middle East causes big problems at WEF

But there is one issue that greatly divides the global leadership team. So much so that it was surprising that no sparks or even fists flew in the heated congress hall.

The Middle East, which has been the world’s problem child for decades, has recently come to the brink of tension again. On one side is Israel, represented at the WEF by President Isaac Herzog (63). The moderate politician was extremely harsh on Hamas: “These barbaric jihadists not only want to harm us, they also want to attack you in Europe,” Herzog warned.

Brutal video exposure too much for WEF viewers

The Israeli army has been waging a fierce war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip for months in retaliation for the October 7 terrorist attacks. Referring to the 24 thousand people killed in Gaza and the impending famine along the coastline, Herzog said, “It pains us to see how much our neighbors are suffering.” “But we find terrorist materials in every house we enter, there are rockets under the beds,” he said. As long as Hamas is in Gaza, there will be no peace.

On the sidelines of the WEF, Israel screened the film “Witness to Witness,” a 45-minute compilation of video footage shot by Hamas fighters and Israeli kibbutz residents on October 7. During the movie, more than half of the audience left the screening. The video material, in which Israel attempted to counter the grisly images of dead children in the destroyed Gaza, was extremely brutal and disturbing.

On the other side of the heated Middle East debate is Iran, represented in Davos by Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (59). This week, his regime launched rocket attacks against targets in Syria, Pakistan and Iraq – allegedly to eliminate the positions of Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence service, there.

America’s commitment pleased Palestinians

At the WEF debate, Amir-Abdollahian, when asked about the risk of escalation, said: “An escalation of tensions is possible at any time. The solution is clear: Israel must stop the war and open humanitarian corridors.” Iran’s Foreign Minister spoke of “genocide in the Gaza Strip” and denied Israel’s right to exist.

The starting position is extremely brutal and the tension is immense. “The international community must quickly end the war in Gaza; the risk of escalation is too great,” says Geir Pedersen (68), Norway’s UN special envoy for Syria. To stabilize the situation, Israel needs to immediately end its settlement policy in Palestine and present concrete proposals for a two-state solution.

Similar tones came from American Secretary of State Antony Blinken (61). “The situation will not stabilize without a separate state for the Palestinians,” the senior US diplomat said. The more urgent the problem, the more distant the solution. Apparently there were no direct talks between the conflicting parties at the WEF. The spirit of Davos is not enough to extinguish the burning fuse in the powder keg in the Middle East.