Two Arabs, Two Lies — and One Truth About Peace With Israel

A few days ago in Athens, I found myself in two different conversations with two young Arab men. One was Lebanese, the other Egyptian. The setting was casual, but what followed was a window into something much deeper and more troubling than a cultural misunderstanding.

The Lebanese man described Jews as a people defined by usury. He spoke with a tone of resignation, casting Israel as the aggressor while painting himself and his people as eternal victims. The Egyptian, a young Medical Doctor, claimed without hesitation that the October 7 massacre did not happen, and that Hamas has never killed women or children.

He did not appear angry, just astonishingly uninformed. His understanding of the Middle East, of Islam, of Judaism, and of basic historical facts was almost entirely divorced from reality.

What was most striking was not just the insnae mythical content the two had to share with the utmost seriousness, but the stark contrast in their framing. The Lebanese portrayed Israel as powerful and brutal. The Egyptian, in contrast, saw it as weak and undeserving of its place in the region. One framed Israel as a dangerous bully. The other framed it as a fraudulent illusion. These were not conversations in the streets of Gaza or Beirut. They happened in Athens, Greece, a European democracy and NATO member.

And they reveal a disturbing truth. Islam lacks the theological and cultural tools for a genuine understanding of its Abrahamic counterparts.

To be clear, I have also met incredible Muslim individuals. A brilliant man from Ivory Coast. A generous and thoughtful man from Algeria. There is no question that individuals must be judged by their character, not their identity.

But the political expression of Islam remains hostile, conspiratorial, and steeped in violent rejectionism and institutional ignorance. The problem is not Muslims. The problem is a political theology that, in most of its interpretations, sees the non-Muslim world as something to be subjugated or destroyed. In this worldview, Israel is not just a challenge. It is an existential offense.

Until this political dimension of Islam is confronted honestly, there will be no peace. Diplomacy may produce handshakes, treaties, and summits. But beneath it, the old narratives remain untouched. A peace that exists only on paper is not peace. It is a pause.

And that pause can end at any time. Islam should be reformed or it will bring destuction to the world.