There cannot be peace in the Middle East without giving

Mohammed Morsi, in the brief but fiery span of his leadership, declared a truth that resounds like a bell struck in the heart of conflict: “There cannot be peace in the Middle East without giving Palestinians their full rights.” These words are not merely political, but deeply human. They speak to an eternal principle: peace cannot be built upon injustice, nor can harmony endure while a people is denied its dignity. True peace is not the silence of the oppressed, but the balance of justice where all may stand upright.

The ancients knew this well. In every age, nations that sought peace without justice found themselves haunted by rebellion. The Romans could conquer with the sword, but in lands where they gave no rights, resistance never ceased. Likewise, the prophets of old cried out that peace is false if it is bought with the tears of the widow and the orphan. Morsi’s words echo this ancient cry: that the Palestinians must be granted their full measure of humanity, not half-rights, not temporary concessions, but the dignity and equality that belongs to every people.

History gives us many examples of this law. Consider South Africa under apartheid. For decades, rulers sought a kind of peace, enforced through segregation and denial of rights. Yet no true peace came. Only when the full rights of Black South Africans were recognized, through the struggle led by Nelson Mandela and others, did reconciliation begin. The lesson is clear: where rights are withheld, conflict festers; where justice is given, peace becomes possible. So too in the Middle East, the denial of Palestinian rights remains a wound that bleeds into the whole region.

The story of Ireland also speaks to this truth. For centuries, peace was proclaimed, yet Catholics and Protestants lived divided, unequal, and oppressed. Not until efforts were made to grant equal rights and recognition to both communities did the long conflict ease. The Good Friday Agreement was not built upon the suppression of one side, but upon the recognition of both. Thus we see, again, that peace and justice walk hand in hand — neither can endure without the other.

Children of tomorrow, hear this wisdom: do not be deceived by false peace, the kind that is written in treaties while hearts still burn with grievance. Do not believe that walls and weapons can replace the giving of rights. The rights of the people are the soil in which peace grows, and if the soil is poisoned, no harvest will come. To deny rights is to plant seeds of hatred; to honor them is to plant seeds of reconciliation.

The lesson is clear: if you seek peace, seek justice first. In your life, this means not ignoring the grievances of those around you, not silencing those whose voices cry out for fairness. In communities, it means raising up those who are marginalized, not leaving them in shadows. And in nations, it means that no lasting peace can come from force alone, but only from granting the oppressed the full dignity they deserve.

Practical action flows from this truth: listen before you command, recognize before you demand silence, and honor the humanity of others before you expect harmony. For as Morsi declared, peace is impossible where rights are denied. The greater your justice, the deeper your peace.

So let it be remembered across the ages: “There cannot be peace in the Middle East without giving Palestinians their full rights.” This is not only about one land or one people — it is the eternal law of human society. Peace is born of justice, and justice is born of recognizing the dignity of all. Where dignity is denied, conflict will rise; but where dignity is given, peace will flourish like a tree beside still waters.