ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Trita Parsi - Political scientist
Trita Parsi delves into Middle Eastern history and politics, uncovering fresh perspectives on Iranian, Israeli, and U.S. relations -- and discovers potential solutions to brewing conflicts.

Why you should listen

Writer and political scientist Trita Parsi is an expert observer of the labyrinthine relationships between the U.S. and the Middle East, cutting through conventional stereotypes to laying bare the often-contentious history of the region.
 
When Parsi was only 4, his family fled to Sweden from Iran to escape political repression. Parsi later relocated to the U.S., where he earned a PhD and founded the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), a grassroots organization promoting the interests of the U.S./ Iranian community.

More profile about the speaker
Trita Parsi | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2013

Trita Parsi: Iran and Israel: Peace is possible

Trita Parsi: Iraan & Israa'iil: Nabaddu waa suura gal

Filmed:
796,662 views

Iran iyo Israil: waa labo wadan oo xariiro hore leh taaso umuuqato in sooxumanayan, laakin dhamaan muronkoodi hadal karsananta, waxaa jirto taarikh kuqarsoon oo iskaashi ah, xataa saaxibtinimo . hadal warbixin leh , Trita Parsi waxo muujinaya sida isbadalka istaraajinimada hore ee lasoo dhafay tasoo kadhigan karto nabada mustqablaka ee labada wadan hadii ay doorbidan .
- Political scientist
Trita Parsi delves into Middle Eastern history and politics, uncovering fresh perspectives on Iranian, Israeli, and U.S. relations -- and discovers potential solutions to brewing conflicts. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
"Iran is Israel's best friend,
0
332
2070
Iran waa saxibka qaaliga ee Israil
00:14
and we do not intend to change our position
1
2402
2709
ma anan qorshenne inan badalno boskena
00:17
in relation to Tehran."
2
5111
3480
xariirka ee Tehran
00:20
Believe it or not, this is a quote
3
8591
1723
rumayso ama ha rumeysan, tani waa midlaga sooxigtay
00:22
from an Israeli prime minister,
4
10314
2199
Raiisul wasaare Israil ah
00:24
but it's not Ben-Gurion or Golda Meir
5
12513
2444
laakin mahan Ben-Gurion ama Golda Meir
00:26
from the era of the Shah.
6
14957
2193
kasoo bilaaw xili taariqeedki Shah.
00:29
It's actually from Yitzhak Rabin.
7
17150
2418
Xaqiiqdii waa Yitzhak Rabin kaimaday.
00:31
The year is 1987.
8
19568
2486
sanadii 1987.
00:34
Ayatollah Khomeini is still alive,
9
22054
1921
Ayatollah Khomeuni weli waa noolyahay,
00:35
and much like Ahmadinejad today,
10
23975
1938
iyo kuwo kale badan sida Ahmadnijad maanta,
00:37
he's using the worst rhetoric against Israel.
11
25913
2900
wuxuu isticmaalayay hadal karsanan kadhanimada Israil
00:40
Yet, Rabin referred to Iran
12
28813
2879
welina, Rabin waxoo tixraacaya Iran
00:43
as a geostrategic friend.
13
31692
3250
si saxib ula noqoyo.
00:46
Today, when we hear the threats of war
14
34942
2696
Manta, markaynu maqalnay hanjabaada dagalka
00:49
and the high rhetoric,
15
37638
1406
iyo codkarsananta baxada leh
00:51
we're oftentimes led to believe
16
39044
1631
waxaynka kentay mararka qaar in aaminno
00:52
that this is yet another one of those unsolvable
17
40675
3283
inay sanadkani tahay midka mid ah xasilooni darada
00:55
Middle Eastern conflicts
18
43958
1875
ka taagan qilaafka Bariga dhexe
00:57
with roots as old as the region itself.
19
45833
3728
xididka lafaca ah gobalka qudhiisa
01:01
Nothing could be further from the truth,
20
49561
3889
waxba dheerad makunoqon karaan runta
01:05
and I hope today to show you why that is.
21
53450
4032
waxaane rajayna manta in idintuso sababta ay sidautahy
01:09
The relations between the Iranian and the Jewish people
22
57482
2338
xariirka udhaxeeya Iraaniyinta iyo dadka Yahuuda ah
01:11
throughout history has actually been quite positive,
23
59820
2480
Taariqdoo idil waxay ahayd mid ilaa xad macqul ah leh
01:14
starting in 539 B.C.,
24
62300
2400
kasoobilaaw 539 B.C.,
01:16
when King Cyrus the Great of Persia
25
64700
1889
marki boqor kuuros ee kuwanagsana Persia
01:18
liberated the Jewish people from their Babylonian captivity.
26
66589
3694
kaxuroobidii yahuuda kasoobilaw xabsi kabaxsashadii babyloniam.
01:22
A third of the Jewish population
27
70283
2471
sadax umeelood meel dadka yahuuda
01:24
stayed in Babylonia.
28
72754
1566
ee daganay Babylonia
01:26
They're today's Iraqi Jews.
29
74320
2250
waxay yihin manta Ciraaq yahuudooda
01:28
A third migrated to Persia.
30
76570
3106
saxad umeelood waxay uguuren Persia
01:31
They're today's Iranian Jews,
31
79676
2076
waxaa jiro manta yahuud Iraani ah
01:33
still 25,000 of them living in Iran,
32
81752
3031
wili 25,000 oo kamid ah waxay kunool yihin Iran
01:36
making them the largest Jewish community
33
84783
1912
ayagoo sameenaya bulshada ugu badan ee yahuuda
01:38
in the Middle East outside of Israel itself.
34
86695
3248
wadamada bariga dhaxe bananka Israail
01:41
And a third returned to historic Palestine,
35
89943
2631
sadax umeelod waxay kusoo rabteen dhulka taariqiga ee Falastin
01:44
did the second rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem,
36
92574
3051
miyey dhismeenti labad ee guriga waxlagu caabudo ee Jerusalem,
01:47
financed, incidentally, by Persian tax money.
37
95625
5149
maalgalin kadis ah ka socoto lacagta canshurta Persian
01:52
But even in modern times,
38
100774
2086
xataa waqtiyadii casriga
01:54
relations have been close at times.
39
102860
2445
xariirada waxay ahaayen kuwo isku soodhawanaya xiliyo
01:57
Rabin's statement was a reflection
40
105305
2801
dhambalka Rabin waxoo ahay mid milicsi leh
02:00
of decades of security and intelligence collaboration
41
108106
3958
labaatanka sano ee amaanka iyo sirdoonka iska kaashanayeen
02:04
between the two, which in turn
42
112064
2536
inta udhaxeeso labadooda , taaso ayana
02:06
was born out of perception of common threats.
43
114600
3997
kudhalatay aragtida hanjabaada cadiga
02:10
Both states feared the Soviet Union
44
118597
2815
labada wadan waxay kacabsadeen midowgi suufiyed
02:13
and strong Arab states such as Egypt and Iraq.
45
121412
5147
wadamada xogan ee Carabta sida masar iyo ciraq
02:18
And, in addition, the Israeli doctrine of the periphery,
46
126559
4241
intaa waxaa siidheer caqiidada israail ee geeska
02:22
the idea that Israel's security was best achieved
47
130800
3292
fikrada amaanka ee israail waxoo ahay mid an lagu gaari
02:26
by creating alliances with the non-Arab states
48
134092
4078
sameenta xulufada an Carabta ahayn
02:30
in the periphery of the region
49
138170
1906
gobolada geeska
02:32
in order to balance the Arab states in its vicinity.
50
140076
4889
si ay umiisaaman wadamada carabta ee nawaaxiga
02:36
Now, from the Shah's perspective, though,
51
144965
2468
hada, kaso bilaw aragtidi Shaah inkastoo
02:39
he wanted to keep this as secret as possible,
52
147433
3654
ow rabay in sir ahan ow kukeediyo ilaa inta owoodyo
02:43
so when Yitzhak Rabin, for instance,
53
151087
2248
marka yitzhak , tusaale ahan
02:45
traveled to Iran in the '70s,
54
153335
1892
waxoo udhoofay Iran 70meeyadi
02:47
he usually wore a wig
55
155227
1448
sida caadada ah waxoo xiran jiray buruko
02:48
so that no one would recognize him.
56
156675
2411
si cidna maysan garan karin asiga
02:51
The Iranians built a special tarmac
57
159086
2435
Iiraniyiinta waxay laami qaas ah kadhiseen
02:53
at the airport in Tehran, far away from the central terminal,
58
161521
3252
gigada diyaaridaha ee ehran meel kafok bartanahisa
02:56
so that no one would notice the large number
59
164773
2305
tooso cida aysan haleeli karin tirada badan
02:59
of Israeli planes shuttling between Tel Aviv and Tehran.
60
167078
5421
iska gooshmadki diyaaridaha Israail inta udhaxeysa tel aviv iyo tehran
03:04
Now, did all of this end with the Islamic revolution
61
172499
3187
hada, waxaas dhamantot miyey kudhamaaday kacaanki islamka
03:07
in 1979?
62
175686
2953
ee 1979?
03:10
In spite of the very clear anti-Israeli ideology
63
178639
3067
caqaradii xumeed ee fikrada Israail looga soohorjeeday
03:13
of the new regime, the geopolitical logic
64
181706
3393
ee xukunka cusub ee macquulka galka ahay
03:17
for their collaboration lived on,
65
185099
2604
ee xariirkooda siisoconayay,
03:19
because they still had common threats.
66
187703
2812
maxaa yeelayay wili waxay is wiidarsanayen hajabadyo
03:22
And when Iraq invaded Iran in 1980,
67
190515
3029
markii ciraq ay soosartay Iran 1980ki
03:25
Israel feared an Iraqi victory
68
193544
2490
israail waxay kacabsatay gusha ciraq
03:28
and actively helped Iran by selling it arms
69
196034
2751
iyo firfircoonida ay ucawineyso iran kagaditaanka gacan
03:30
and providing it with spare parts
70
198785
2252
iyo kushartitaanta dayactirka
03:33
for Iran's American weaponry
71
201037
2160
iran ameerikan ka qubkooda
03:35
at a moment when Iran was very vulnerable
72
203197
3716
xiligaasne iran waxay ahayd mid si sahla looweerari karo
03:38
because of an American arms embargo
73
206913
2502
maxaa yeelay ameericanka aya cuno qabateyay
03:41
that Israel was more than happy to violate.
74
209415
2988
taaso israail ugu faraxsaneed in sharciga jabiso
03:44
In fact, back in the 1980s,
75
212403
2758
xaqiidi , hadii dibloogu noqdo 1980ki
03:47
it was Israel that lobbied Washington
76
215161
2809
israail ayey ahayd cida soogashay Washington
03:49
to talk to Iran, to sell arms to Iran,
77
217970
4109
si ula hadasho iran kana iibiso gacn iran
03:54
and not pay attention to Iran's anti-Israeli ideology.
78
222079
5624
mahan soojiido iran fikrada israail kaga soohorjeedo
03:59
And this, of course, climaxed
79
227703
1939
tanni dabcan waa xiiso leh
04:01
in the Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980s.
80
229642
4651
kasoohorjeedki fadeexada iran 1980ki
04:06
But with the end of the Cold War
81
234293
2000
dhamadkii dagalki qabooba
04:08
came also the end of the Israeli-Iranian cold peace.
82
236293
4438
sidoo kale waxoo noqday nabdii qaboobed ee israail iyo iran
04:12
Suddenly, the two common threats
83
240731
2360
sikadis ah , labada hanjabaat ee caadiga
04:15
that had pushed them closer together throughout decades,
84
243091
3053
aya aad iskuugu soodhawaweysay ayga , sikastaba waxay kuansadeen
04:18
more or less evaporated.
85
246144
2446
uumi bixid yar ama badan
04:20
The Soviet Union collapsed,
86
248590
1962
midowgii suufiyeed waa dhacay
04:22
Iraq was defeated,
87
250552
1692
ciraq ne waalaga awoodbadshay
04:24
and a new environment was created in the region
88
252244
2081
dagaalka cusub waxaa lagu dhisay gobalka
04:26
in which both of them felt more secure,
89
254325
2340
kaaso labadooda ay kadareemin amaan
04:28
but they were also now left unchecked.
90
256665
2920
sidoo kale waxay ahaayen kuwo an hubesnen
04:31
Without Iraq balancing Iran,
91
259585
3115
ayadoon ciraaq kabaynin iran
04:34
Iran could now become a threat,
92
262700
2178
iran hada waxay noqon kartaa hada hanjabat
04:36
some in Israel argued.
93
264878
2532
meelaha israail ay kumurmeen
04:39
In fact, the current dynamic
94
267410
2945
xaqiiqdi, fiir fircoonida
04:42
that you see between Iran and Israel
95
270355
2092
kaaga muuqato iran iyo israail
04:44
has its roots more so
96
272447
2095
waxay leedahay xiddo dheer
04:46
in the geopolitical reconfiguration of the region
97
274542
2653
ee siyaasada farsameesan ee gobalka
04:49
after the Cold War
98
277195
1789
dagaalki qabobay kadib
04:50
than in the events of 1979,
99
278984
2500
kabadan dhacdooyinki 1979ki
04:53
because at this point, Iran and Israel
100
281484
2697
maxaayelay markan iran iyo israaila
04:56
emerge as two of the most powerful states in the region,
101
284181
3888
waxay kusoo baxayn labo wadan ugu aqooda badal gobalka
05:00
and rather than viewing each other
102
288069
1243
tasoo doorbidaysa in midba midka kale fiirsado
05:01
as potential security partners,
103
289312
2476
sida usuurto galiso amanka is iska kashadan
05:03
they increasingly came to view each other
104
291788
2212
waxay dardargaliyen muuqaalkooda
05:06
as rivals and competitors.
105
294000
3558
si utartamaan tartanno
05:09
So Israel, who in the 1980s
106
297558
1801
sida darteet israil ,taaso 1980
05:11
lobbied for and improved U.S.-Iran relations
107
299359
3525
gashay si ucadeyso qaranada midoob xariirkooda iran
05:14
now feared a U.S.-Iran rapprochement,
108
302884
3383
hada waxay kacabsi qabtaa xarrirka wanaagsana ee maraykanka-iran
05:18
thinking that it would come
109
306267
1294
ayagoo kafakiraaya taas in noqon donta
05:19
at Israel's security interests' expense,
110
307561
3662
amaanka israail xiisentisa qaaliga
05:23
and instead sought to put Iran
111
311223
2132
iyo badalka ay raadin lahaayen in iran
05:25
in increased isolation.
112
313355
2534
ay ku gordhiyaan go'doomin.
05:27
Ironically, this was happening at a time
113
315889
2928
waxaa xusid mudan, waxaani waxay dhacen waqti
05:30
when Iran was more interested
114
318817
2067
marka iraan ad uxiisayneesay
05:32
in peacemaking with Washington
115
320884
2150
nabad lasameenta Washington
05:35
than to see to Israel's destruction.
116
323034
3435
inkabada inta arki lahayd israail oo burbursan
05:38
Iran had put itself in isolation
117
326469
1840
iran waxay is galisay go'doon
05:40
because of its radicalism,
118
328309
1867
sababtoo ah waxay ahayd mid qiireysan
05:42
and after having helped the United States indirectly
119
330176
2919
kadib kaalmo kahelidii ameerikanka an tooska ahayn
05:45
in the war against Iraq in 1991,
120
333095
2272
inta lagu guda jiray dagalki kaga soohorjeday ciraq 1991
05:47
the Iranians were hoping
121
335367
1956
iraaniyinta waxay rajeynaayen
05:49
that they would be rewarded by being included
122
337323
3902
in laga amaal marindoono kusoodaritanka lagu soodaray
05:53
in the post-war security architecture of the region.
123
341225
4730
cidaanka nabad sugida ee gobolka
05:57
But Washington chose to ignore Iran's outreach,
124
345955
3552
laakin Washington waxay dooratay in iska dhaga tirto iran caawideda
06:01
as it would a decade later in Afghanistan,
125
349507
2436
si ay dib ugu go aansato in afgaanistan
06:03
and instead moved to intensify Iran's isolation,
126
351943
4195
iyo badalka raritanka si ay uxoojinso go'doominta iiran
06:08
and it is at this point, around 1993, '94,
127
356138
3234
xaligaan lajoogane, agagaarka 1993,'94.
06:11
that Iran begins to translate
128
359372
2712
in iiran bilawday badalitanka
06:14
its anti-Israeli ideology
129
362084
2227
fikradeedi israail kadhanta ahayd
06:16
into operational policy.
130
364311
2395
una badasho siyaasad howlgaleed
06:18
The Iranians believed that whatever they did,
131
366706
2279
iraaniyinta waxay aaminsanaayen waxkasto ay sameeyen
06:20
even if they moderated their policies,
132
368985
2310
xataa hadii ay dhaxdhaxaad kanoqdan siyaasadooda
06:23
the U.S. would continue to seek Iran's isolation,
133
371295
3302
umeerikan waxay siiwadi lahaayen kadalbashada go'doominta iran
06:26
and the only way Iran could compel Washington
134
374597
3654
wadada kaliyahna ufuran ay ku qasbi karaan Washington
06:30
to change its position was by imposing a cost
135
378251
3296
inay badalaan booskoda wayneenaya qiimaha
06:33
on the U.S. if it didn't.
136
381547
3313
ameerika . hadii aysan noqon
06:36
The easiest target was the peace process,
137
384860
4090
tan ugu fudud oo labartilmaamedsanayay waxay ahayd habka nabada
06:40
and now the Iranian ideological bark
138
388950
2377
hadane iiraniyiinta fikradooda qaylada
06:43
was to be accompanied by a nonconventional bite,
139
391327
4239
waxay ahayd in lasocoto qaniinyada an caadiga ahayn ,
06:47
and Iran began supporting extensively
140
395566
3977
iran waxay bilowday taageerida marwalbo
06:51
Palestinian Islamist groups that it previously
141
399543
2699
kooxaha islaamiyinta ee falastiin kuwasoo horay
06:54
had shunned.
142
402242
3391
neceb kala dhaxeeyay.
06:57
In some ways, this sounds paradoxical,
143
405633
3215
siyaaboyinka qar. waxay u egtahay kuwa is burinaya
07:00
but according to Martin Indyk
144
408848
2120
laakin marka loofiiriyo martin indyk
07:02
of the Clinton administration,
145
410968
1873
oo kamid ah maamulka clinton
07:04
the Iranians had not gotten it entirely wrong,
146
412841
2899
iraaniyintan dhamaantot maysan uqaadan qalad,
07:07
because the more peace there would be
147
415740
1541
maxaa yeelay nabada badan ee halkas kajirto ayaa waxay noqon lahayd
07:09
between Israel and Palestine,
148
417281
2163
mid udhaxeysa israail iyo falastin,
07:11
the U.S. believed, the more Iran would get isolated.
149
419444
3363
ameerika waxay aaminsanayen inta badan la go'doomiyo iran
07:14
The more Iran got isolated, the more peace there would be.
150
422807
3136
inta badan iran go'doonto, waa nabada badan ee kadhalan karto
07:17
So according to Indyk, and these are his words,
151
425943
2448
sidaa darteet marka loofiiriyo indyk, waxa waayay erayadiisa
07:20
the Iranians had an interest to do us in
152
428391
3188
iraaniyinta waxay daneynaayen inan usameeno
07:23
on the peace process
153
431579
1667
qaab nabadeedka
07:25
in order to defeat our policy of containment.
154
433246
3712
si ay ujabiyan siyaasadeena kooban
07:28
To defeat our policy of containment,
155
436958
2366
in lajabiyo siyaasadayna kooban
07:31
not about ideology.
156
439324
3986
maahan mid fikrad kusabsan
07:35
But throughout even the worst times of their entanglement,
157
443310
3705
laakin sikastaba ay ahaato xataa waqtiyadii ugu xumay ee murgidoona
07:39
all sides have reached out to each other.
158
447015
3263
labada dhinac way iskaagen
07:42
Netanyahu, when he got elected in 1996,
159
450278
3269
netanyahu, markii loocodeeyay sanadii 1996
07:45
reached out to the Iranians to see
160
453547
1796
waxoo garsiiyay iiraniyinta inoo tuso
07:47
if there were any ways that
161
455343
1703
hadii ay jirto wado un taas
07:49
the doctrine of the periphery could be resurrected.
162
457046
3189
oo caqiidada deeganka loosobixin karo
07:52
Tehran was not interested.
163
460235
2470
tehran maysan daneenen
07:54
A few years later, the Iranians sent
164
462705
2965
sanado kobadan kadib, iraaniyinta waxay direen
07:57
a comprehensive negotiation proposal to the Bush administration,
165
465670
3459
gorgortan dhamestiran jeeditanka in maamulka bush
08:01
a proposal that revealed that there was some potential
166
469129
4008
soo jiito shaac kaqaadita in jiraan waxyaalo dhici karan
08:05
of getting Iran and Israel back on terms again.
167
473137
3863
sida iran iyo israil in dib ugu raabtan sharuudo markale .
08:09
The Bush administration did not even respond.
168
477000
3260
maamulka bish kama owsan jawaabin xata
08:12
All sides have never missed an opportunity
169
480260
2820
labada dhinac waligood maysan dhaafin fursad
08:15
to miss an opportunity.
170
483080
3067
ay kudhaafan fursad
08:20
But this is not an ancient conflict.
171
488897
4672
laakin kan mahan khilaf gabobay.
08:25
This is not even an ideological conflict.
172
493569
2959
kan xata mahan khilaaf fikradeed
08:28
The ebbs and flows of hostility
173
496528
2794
dareemaha iyo caawada raacsan
08:31
have not shifted with ideological zeal,
174
499322
3276
maysan badalin fikradi xiisahabadned,
08:34
but rather with changes in the geopolitical landscape.
175
502598
2602
laakin dorbidida isbadalka leh ee siyaasada gobalka
08:37
When Iran and Israel's security imperatives
176
505200
2331
marka baahida amaanka ee israail iyo iran
08:39
dictated collaboration, they did so
177
507531
2702
Taasna ay iska wadakaashaqeen, waay samyen sidaa
08:42
in spite of lethal ideological opposition to each other.
178
510233
3576
inkastoo oo ay mucaaradka fikradooda halis midba bida kal kutahay
08:45
When Iran's ideological impulses collided
179
513809
2916
marka fikrada israil sidag dag ah iskuugu dhacn
08:48
with its strategic interests,
180
516725
2230
si ay kujirto dano istaraatiijiyadeed
08:50
the strategic interests always prevailed.
181
518955
3663
danaha istaraatiijiyadeed marwalba waa ka adkaa.
08:54
This is good news, because it means
182
522618
2993
kani waa akhbaar wanagsan , maxaa ylay waxay kadhigantahay
08:57
that neither war nor enmity
183
525611
2586
in midkoodna colaad kala dhaxen
09:00
is a foregone conclusion.
184
528197
3670
waa midhor oo gababsi ah
09:03
But some want war.
185
531867
2555
laakin qarkod waxay raban dagal
09:06
Some believe or say that it's 1938,
186
534422
3204
qaar aya aminsan ama dhaho 1939
09:09
Iran is Germany,
187
537626
1912
iran waa jarmal
09:11
and Ahmadinejad is Hitler.
188
539538
3166
axmad najadn waa hitler
09:14
If we accept this to be true,
189
542704
1865
hadii aynu aqbalno tan in run tahay
09:16
that indeed it is 1938, Iran is Germany,
190
544569
3352
taas xaqiiqda waxay tahay1938, iran in jarmal tahy
09:19
Ahmadinejad is Hitler,
191
547921
2407
axmad najadna in hitlr yahy
09:22
then the question we have to ask ourself is,
192
550328
2835
suaalaha mudan in iswaydiino waa
09:25
who wishes to play the role of Neville Chamberlain?
193
553163
3813
Yaa rajaynaayay in cayaaro doorka Nevilla chamberlain?
09:28
Who will risk peace?
194
556976
2866
Yaa Khatar ugalaa nabad?
09:31
This is an analogy that is deliberately aimed
195
559842
2614
Tani waa cilmi Taas oo si ulakacah loogu talagay
09:34
at eliminating diplomacy,
196
562456
2760
baabi'itanka dibloomaciyad
09:37
and when you eliminate diplomacy,
197
565216
2412
markaad suulisidna dibloomasiyada
09:39
you make war inevitable.
198
567628
3089
waxaad kusameysa dagaal an qarsamen
09:42
In an ideological conflict, there can be no truce,
199
570717
3115
fikrad is khilafsan, wax heshiis xabad joojin ah majirayan
09:45
no draw, no compromise,
200
573832
2165
majiran wax dhaxdhaxaad ah
09:47
only victory or defeat.
201
575997
3282
waxa kaliyah oojiro waa guul ama khasaro
09:51
But rather than making war inevitable
202
579279
3190
laakin waxay kadoor bideen sameenta dagaal an qarsoomen
09:54
by viewing this as ideological,
203
582469
3204
ufiiritanka midaan fikrad ahan
09:57
we would be wise to seek ways
204
585673
2039
waxaan kudhiiran lahayn in siyaabo kale usameyno
09:59
to make peace possible.
205
587712
2988
ay an nabada macquul ugu dhigno
10:02
Iran and Israel's conflict is a new phenomenon,
206
590700
3496
iran iyo israil khilafkooda waa layaab cusub
10:06
only a few decades old
207
594196
1990
waxyar ayaa goansaday dhalin
10:08
in a history of 2,500 years,
208
596186
2626
taarikhda 2,500 san0
10:10
and precisely because its roots are geopolitical,
209
598812
3987
sida saxda ah sababtoo ah salakeeda waa siyaasad
10:14
it means that solutions can be found,
210
602799
2840
waxayna kadhigan taas in xalkeda lahli karo
10:17
compromises can be struck,
211
605639
2687
dhaxdhaxaadiska waxay noqon kartaa shaqo kafadhiisasho
10:20
however difficult it yet may be.
212
608326
2819
sikasta ay u adagtahy wili way noqonosa
10:23
After all, it was Yitzhak Rabin himself who said,
213
611145
3992
waxaas oo dhan waxay ahaayen yitzhak rabin waxoo nasfad ahantiisa dhahay
10:27
"You don't make peace with your friends.
214
615137
2986
"saaxiibada nabad lama sameysid
10:30
You make it with your enemies."
215
618123
2380
waxaa lasameysaa nabad cadowgaaga."
10:32
Thank you.
216
620503
1435
Mahadsanid .
10:33
(Applause)
217
621938
5082
(sacbis)
Translated by Abdiwahab Osman
Reviewed by Jamal Omar

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Trita Parsi - Political scientist
Trita Parsi delves into Middle Eastern history and politics, uncovering fresh perspectives on Iranian, Israeli, and U.S. relations -- and discovers potential solutions to brewing conflicts.

Why you should listen

Writer and political scientist Trita Parsi is an expert observer of the labyrinthine relationships between the U.S. and the Middle East, cutting through conventional stereotypes to laying bare the often-contentious history of the region.
 
When Parsi was only 4, his family fled to Sweden from Iran to escape political repression. Parsi later relocated to the U.S., where he earned a PhD and founded the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), a grassroots organization promoting the interests of the U.S./ Iranian community.

More profile about the speaker
Trita Parsi | Speaker | TED.com

Data provided by TED.

This site was created in May 2015 and the last update was on January 12, 2020. It will no longer be updated.

We are currently creating a new site called "eng.lish.video" and would be grateful if you could access it.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to write comments in your language on the contact form.

Privacy Policy

Developer's Blog

Buy Me A Coffee