In a fevered dream the night after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech, I imagined a different reality in which Israel and ISIS saved the Middle East and created a peaceful paradise. Read more after the dream-sequence indicating squiggle below.
While talking a hard line to the world, Bibi secretly sends emissaries to the surrounding countries promising Israel's support in putting down ISIS in exchange for thawed relations.
Naturally, the surrounding Arab and Iranian leaders look at this offer askance. What could possibly be in it for them? Meanwhile, ISIS continues to wreak havoc, threatening to create a full blown regional apocalypse.
Once the Kingdom of Saud is threatened by the Frankenstein that they helped create, they relent and accept Israel's offer, bringing the rest of the ever desperate Arab countries in tow.
Meanwhile, The United States offers to form an alliance with Iran for the same purpose in return for normalized relations between Iran and the rest of the world. Iran will get uranium from a now helpful Russia (Putin was killed wrestling a bear, shirtless of course—Putin, no the bear,) to continue its nuclear energy program in exchange for dismantling its weapons facilities.
America, Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the other Arab countries join forces to wipe ISIS off the map, leaving nothing but a gray smudge in the desert.
In addition to the obvious benefits of eliminating ISIS and neutralizing tensions in the Middle East, additional dream-like consequences of the efforts result in the following:
America – As part of the deal with Iran, America sends countless religious and conservative leaders to the front lines to fight ISIS. Unfortunately many are killed on the battlefield fighting their demons.
Israel – finding itself in a new environment of peace, extends an olive branch to the Palestinians and decides on a new policy of "killing them with kindness" rather than the other kind they had been employing. Israel helps set up a Palestinian state, and offers economic assistance. As a result, Israel and the Palestinian state end up with a symbiotic economic relationship that is the envy of the world.
Iran – Like the US, Iran sends many of its religious conservatives to the front lines, leaving the path to political power open to progressive reformers. Within a decade, Iran is not only an economic powerhouse, it becomes a leader of peace in the region, cooperating with...
Saudi Arabia to create an Islamic Peace institute where they hold an annual Sunni/Shia religious peace summit. For its part, Saudi Arabia dismantles its system of Wahhabi inspired religious schools and pushes for education reforms around the region, creating STEM oriented curriculums that put students on a path to making Saudi Arabia a new green energy leader.
Surrounded by the peace and prosperity that develops in region, Arab Countries become known as the Middle East Tiger, bringing jobs and purpose to their young people who are sick of war and economic backwardness.
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Ah, dreams....