There are common dreams shared by all in this universe, and private dreams for each and every one of us. One cannot achieve his private dream until he achieves the common ones.

Visiting Auschwitz a couple of weeks ago, I saw through my own eyes the ordeal of a people who did nothing to deserve their suffering. Hence, they could not achieve their dream. However, in Israel, the descendants of those people, who survived such a horrible tragedy - which should have been a lesson for all - are waging one war after another, and not giving peace a chance.

Now, Hezbollah - as well as Saddam Hussein, who hit Israel with 39 missiles in 1991 - have proved that Israel may possibly be defeated from afar, even without common borders.

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Israel has allowed Hezbollah to become a role model for many other organizations. No military action can stop radicalism; only peace, education and democratization can do that. Force will never be the answer.

Israel's position of ignoring the Arab League's peace initiative only increased radicalism. Israeli politicians have talked for years about their willingness to make "painful concessions." But where are the deeds? It is easy to use violence, but it takes wisdom and courage to make peace.

Whether it was Arafat, Abu Mazen or the democratically elected government of Hamas, Israel found none of them to be an appropriate partner for negotiations. Dov Weissglas, Ariel Sharon's close adviser, interviewed in Haaretz in October, 2004, said, "With the proper management we succeeded in removing the issue of the political process from the agenda. And we have educated the world to understand that there is no one to talk to."

Negotiations take place between enemies, and not lovers, but Israel acts as if it is looking for a sex partner. Barak's no partner "doctrine" and Sharon's unilateralism and separation wall, prove how much Israel wants to avoid talking peace with the Palestinians or the Arabs.

In the Knesset in 1977, Sadat said: "There is no peace that could be built on the occupation of the land of others; otherwise it would not be a serious peace. Yet this is a forgone conclusion that is not open to the passion of debate if intentions are sincere or if endeavors to establish a just and durable peace for our and for your generations to come are genuine. As for the Palestine cause, nobody could deny that it is the crux of the entire problem."

Many Arab intellectuals say that Israel fears peace, since it would free you for the first time to deal with your internal differences - the differences between Ashkenazim and Sephardim; your racist attitude toward Ethiopian Jews; the rejection of Zionism by ultra-Orthodox Jews - all of these constitute significant problems that Israel would just as soon not have to deal with. Hence, you also avoid dealing with peace, following in the footsteps of Yitzhak Shamir, as Aluf Benn described it recently in these pages. (Haaretz, September 18, 2006)

President Mubarak has warned countless times that Israeli policies will lead the Middle East to disaster. He has called for a WMD-free zone in the area, so that peace can prevail.

Why can't we all be winners? Akiva Eldar wrote, "Anyone who understands Israel's deep interest in the stability of the moderate Arab camp, a camp that has tied its fate to the peace strategy, is not entitled to sit in a government that has adopted the 'agenda' of the bear who did not manage to learn anything except 'no, no' and lost his way." (September 15, 2006)

It will be in your best interest and ours, as moderate Arabs, to elect a pragmatic new or old Israeli leader, with vision, courage, confidence, determination, morality and decisiveness, who is willing to make those "painful concessions" long awaited in the region, and be a partner for prosperity and stability in the whole of the Middle East.

A courageous Israeli, not a politician or a general, took an important step on September 17 for rapprochement with the Arab and Muslim world. Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, in condemning the Pope's remarks on Islam, "wrote to Sheikh Yusef Kardawi, 'our way is to honor every religion and every nation according to their paths, as it is written in the Book of Prophets: because every nation will go in the name of its lord.'" Such a step is considered the start of many to come.

The time has come for Israel to abandon unilateralism, to see the partner in your enemy, to stop building new ghettos, to leave your imagined postulates behind you, and reach out to life. In this way, you will be able to fulfill your dreams and let others fulfill theirs. Most important for all of us, both Arabs and Israelis, is to fulfill our common dream to live in peace. This will be possible only "if intentions are sincere," to have a sincere intention to make peace, be ready to exchange land for security, and postpone love till the time proves ripe.

Sharif Hafez is an assistant professor of Middle East politics at 6 of October University, 6 of October City, Giza, Egypt